The Donkey Quilt, which was on display last Saturday at the Boutwell House, was a present to the late  Jean Downey, wife of the Rev. George Downey, who became involved with the Mississippi Box Project (later known as the Box Project) in the 1960s when George was assigned to a church in Mississippi. In order to deal with the extreme poverty in the state, the Box Project connects on a one-to-one basis caring individuals with a family in need. Jean and others made and sent clothes underwear, uniforms, books, non-perishable food stuffs like grits, flour, and beans monthly. Occasionally a literate child would send a thank you note. The donkey quilt represents a thank you gift to Jean from a recipient of her monthly boxes over many years. For more information on the Box Project visit https://boxproject.org. Photo by Steve Lieman