Quilt of valor7/17/2023 She says she joined initially because she had some time on her hands and a father who was a veteran of the Korean War. Sheila Gordon is the State Coordinator for Quilts of Valor in Arkansas. Seventeen groups and 291 members are active in the state of Arkansas. The quilt shops not only act as a hub for volunteers to work together and find supplies specific to the program, they also often sponsor groups in their communities and host special events. There are also 123 quilt shops that are certified as part of the network. Nationally, there are 560 official groups of Quilt of Valor volunteers consisting of 10,449 members. To date, according to their website, Quilts of Valor has awarded 232,502 quilts. They are also presented to veterans who have been home for many years, but the time that has passed between their combat experiences and presentation does not diminish the impact of the gift. The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is “to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.” The basic premise of the organization centers around volunteer quilt makers creating handmade quilts that are then presented to service members as a way to provide healing when they return home from combat missions. In the next scene, he was wrapped in a quilt, and “his whole demeanor changed.” Catherine woke from her dream and went to work, founding Quilts of Valor Foundation. In the dream, which she describes as being as real as if she were “viewing a movie,” Catherine saw a soldier who looked as if he’d lost hope, hunched over on the side of his bed. Army deployed in Iraq when, in 2003, she had a dream that would change her life. Please come to any award ceremonies or pay us a visit during one of our monthly meetings.Catherine Roberts was the mother of a soldier in the U.S. Our dues are $10 per year and we welcome anyone who shares the dedication to honor our veterans and active military. We have 22 members, most come to the monthly meetings and few work from home. We meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month at North Roanoke Fire Department #1, 150 Hershberger Road from 10am – 2pm. We have enjoyed great support from the Star Quilters Guild and the Blue Ridge Quilters and have been invited to speak at the Bedford Guild and participate at the Lake Quilters Show last year. The Roanoke group will participate in the upcoming Star Quilter’s Show in March and will award QOV too veterans on both days of the show. These award ceremonies were held in various churches, the hospital, the VFW and American Legion, in a park and in the veteran’s home. We have been honored to award quilts to 25 veterans in the past year. Our local veterans and active military were not being honored with any regularity and so our group was formed to fulfill this need. There are 16 QOV groups in Virginia but none were close to Roanoke of the surrounding area. The Roanoke QOV Stickers got their start in October of 2021 to fill a void. It should be awarded with solemnness and dignity. It is not something that should be a “surprise” or a birthday gift to the recipient. This award has been vetted with the Defense Department. A Quilt of Valor is an individual civilian award for a person’s service and sacrifice for our country. The mission of the QOVF is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national organization with groups in all 50 states.
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