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A group of area women is using their talents and passions in a way to give back to veterans.

Lynda Harig said she had made quilts and been a part of the American Legion Auxiliary for several years when one day she came to an auxiliary meeting with an idea: She wanted to get help with how to select veterans to give quilts to and wanted to know how to present the quilts, among other questions.

It was at that moment, the women decided to get involved with the Quilts of Valor Foundation and began a concentrated effort to reach out to veterans in the area with the quilts.

Quilts of Valor began in 2003 when founder Catherine Roberts’ son was deployed in Iraq. One day, according to the organization’s website, Roberts had a vivid dream where she saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed, hunched over and in despair. She said he could see his war demons clustered around him.

As if watching a movie, Roberts saw in the next scene a quilt wrapped around the man and witnessed his demeanor change into one of hope and well-being, the organization’s website states She took away from that message that the quilts could bring healing.

In the years since, about 400,000 quilts have been given out across the country.

The quilts have to reach certain criteria and when complete are affixed with a label that indicates the veteran the quilt was made for, who made the quilt, the date it was presented and other information.

“It’s a wonderful thing to do, and it’s humbling to hear their stories,” Harig said of the veteran recipients.

The local effort has grown to where the women have now given out about 90 quilts, and each month they have a special ceremony to present to new recipients.

“To be able to give back and honor our veterans and present them with something that we hope they can carry forward to wrap them in that warmth — from the quilt as well as from us,” said Beth Birch, local Legion Auxiliary president. “Because we will never truly understand all they gave and did, that we just want to be able to recognize our veterans and honor them.”
Harig said they serve roughly a 50-mile radius.

They started with the World War II and Korean War veterans and now are working their way through a list of about 300 Vietnam War veterans. The lists include veterans who belong to the American Legion, though they also take other recommendations for others who are not Legion members. In addition, they sometimes receive referrals from the state Quilts of Valor Foundation.

“It’s a small drop in the bucket when we look at the number of veterans that we have that we’re not going to stop,” Birch said of how many they have completed so far. “We know about our members, but we don’t want to leave anyone out.”

Paulette Anderson said she grew in a household where veterans were treated with respect and she is humbled to be a part of the effort.

The women estimated they have between 15 and 20 quilters, some who sew at home and some who sew across the street from the Legion building on Broadway at Creating Sew Much, which opens their doors to them usually once a month. Before that, they met at other people’s homes, and particularly the home of Elaine Hart.

Harig often puts together quilts for the women to work from, and they are always looking for new ideas for quilts that fit within the Quilts of Valor criteria for size and colors.

The women shared stories of how much the quilts have meant to the veterans and to the veterans’ families, through chemotherapy and at nursing homes. The quilts have meant so much to them, that many often have them displayed at their funerals.

They said their monthly ceremonies to present new quilts have grown since their inception, with more Legion members attending to offer support, as well as family and friends. The ceremonies are every third Friday at 3 p.m. at the American Legion.

They have also received more donations for the effort from groups like the Disabled American Veterans, Sons of the American Legion, the auxiliary and the Legion Riders. When they first started, people donated fabric, and Harig and others put in funds. They estimated each quilt to cost about $300.

Donations are still accepted, and more people can also help with the sewing — not only auxiliary members are invited to help.

“It takes a village,” said Bev Dobberstein.