Visiting Stephanie Foy Witting in her sewing studio at home is a whirlwind of color with fabric arranged in a rainbow on one wall and multiple projects in various stages of completion stored neatly in bins and drawers. Her crafts are an art, but her favorite thing is to hear what people do with them once they’re out of her workspace and in people’s homes.
“I want my quilts to get used and loved,” she said.
Many of Lifelong’s supporters are likely familiar with Stephanie’s work. Each year, she donates a themed quilt to Lifelong’s silent auction. Her bigfoot and cowboy themed quilts inspired fierce bidding wars that benefitted Lifelong’s food & nutrition program, Chicken Soup Brigade.
Her involvement with Lifelong has always been a labor of love. After her older brother, Freddy, died of AIDS in the 1990s, her parents, husband, and kids all wanted to continue to help people living with HIV around Seattle, where they were raised.
For 26 years, Stephanie and her family have donated and volunteered with Lifelong. As a mom, it was important for her to involve her kids in helping people experiencing the same illness as Freddy. They went with her on her food delivery routes, bringing meals and groceries to neighbors in need.
“We were always very blunt about what was happening with Freddy,” she said. “It was important for my kids to know the truth of their uncle’s life and to not be ashamed.”
She says she was more worried about her “germy little people” around her brother than about her kids being around him and knowing what was happening.
While he was dying, Stephanie made it a priority to be there for Freddy, especially as she saw so many other people dying of AIDS who were never visited by their family. In his final months, Stephanie and her mother would often take turns being there with him.
Freddy spent his 40th birthday in hospice in LA. Stephanie and her mother brought paella for the occasion. She has fond memories of watching Jeopardy with him in his room. He would try to answer all the questions and “flip the bird” if his younger sister got a question right before him.
“He was funny. And he was a model. He was even on the cover of GQ,” Stephanie said.
Stephanie sees Lifelong’s work as important because people are still living with HIV and experiencing health inequity and injustice. This work is part of who she is. Being involved is a way to keep Freddy’s spirit alive.
“I miss him every day of my life.” She said, then added with a laugh, “Even though he was perfect, the stinker.
Join Stephanie in making a difference by joining our Bread & Butter Club
For just $40 a month (less than $1.50 a day), you can provide a weekly medically-tailored meal for a neighbor living with a serious and life-challenging illness.