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Quilting Service Projects

Quilts of Valor by Barbara Helferich  

My friend, Linda, and I have been making Quilts of Valor, continuing with the UQG’s  efforts of the past. Quilts are still very much needed all over the country and we thought it would be fitting to keep the finished quilts local, giving them to soldiers from our area who have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We contacted the volunteer director at the VA Hospital and this week, we went up there with several quilts that were ready to be presented. Our timing seemed to be off, because no recent vets seemed to be in residence that particular day and we were, naturally, very disappointed. At the last unit we checked, the director found a recipient for us. We presented a quilt to a YOUNG, handsome, intelligent-looking, did I mention YOUNG man who recently returned from Iraq. He had a stunned look on his face at the gift and without any hesitation reached over and gave us each a heartfelt hug of gratitude. My body started to tingle and a warm flush washed all over me.

After we left the YOUNG man, tears welled up in my eyes. I had no idea beforehand how I would react. I was unexpectedly overcome with emotion. Linda was equally touched. Even the director we were with got a little teary-eyed. (Being the mother of two 20-something young men may have been part of it.)

It’s one experience to make a quilt and send it off somewhere, knowing it’s going to a soldier, but to deliver one in person is a totally different and amazing experience.  I will never forget the look on the YOUNG man’s face and my feelings at that moment. We will go back there again in a week of two with more quilts for other young men.

For all of you who have made Quilts of Valor in the past and did not get an opportunity to be present when a quilt was given out, I want to be sure you know how much you are appreciated and how much a quilt can mean to a soldier. His recovery could very well be affected by such a gift. Knowing that we appreciate what he has sacrificed for our country and that we are grateful, can make a huge difference. Each one of us makes a difference! For more information, please contact Barbara Helferich at bhelferich@comcast.net

Quilts4Cancer by Jill Cox

With the coming of a new Utah Quilt Guild year, a new chance to make quilts and help others is being offered to our members. As announced at Quilt Festival, the Utah Quilt Guild is encouraging members throughout the coming year to make quilts for children with cancer.

After reading an article on children with cancer, I was struck by the statistics on childhood cancer.  Statistics say that 13,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Out of those 35% of them will die from the cancer they have. Childhood cancer is the #1 childhood disease killer of our nation’s children.

Many parents have mentioned that nothing warms a child’s heart better than having a quilt of their own to comfort them through the long and strenuous process of treating cancer. Wouldn’t it be great if we could put a quilt on the lap of each child between newborn to the age of 20 that is fighting this terrible disease?

The guidelines are really quite simple. Quilts should be 40 x 60 or larger and either will be quilted or tied. The goal of the Utah Quilt Guild is to have 250 quilts by 2008 Quilt Festival. If each member of the Utah Quilt Guild were to make just one quilt, we could have over 1200 quilts. Members making quilts may give them to their Area Representative to turn in throughout the year or bring them to the 2008 Festival. For every quilt a member turns in, their name will be put into a drawing to win a Trip Around the World quilt pieced by Terry Young and quilted by the Corn Wagon.

Added- 09/2007