February 13, 2013
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Quilters with Quilts of Valor use their skills to make quilts for deployed soldiers and veterans.
Photo by Ray Rockwell
Deployed U.S. soldiers need all the love they can get By Shannon Cothran, Editor, Community News The first time my little brother, Ethan, called me from Afghanistan, I had to hold back tears—it was such a relief to hear his voice. Enlisting in the Army is not the path I would have chosen for him, but Ethan made that choice, and now he is serving our country thousands of miles away in a dangerous area. He has told me stories of the impenetrable heat of the dessert summer, the exotic bazaars, the on-and-off Internet connections which only occasionally allow him to Skype with his wife, and the camaraderie he feels with his fellow soldiers. He also tells me of mail calls, that time when mail is passed out to all the men and women, and how his heart drops a little every time someone in his company doesn’t get a package or a letter. Even Ethan, who has a large family who regularly mails him packages and a good relationship with his platoon, could use a little more love.
I hope you will consider donating some of your time to help men and women like my brother. Here are some ways you can support the troops: Quilts of Valor: Eastern Missouri In July 2005, Jean Jaeger picked up information on making quilts for soldiers and veterans when attending the National Quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky. After presenting it to the ladies at her church, the region’s Quilts of Valor organization was born. Jean and Jackie Heggemann made the first quilts, and they began quilting with 23 ladies. Today they sometimes have over 100 ladies attending the quilting, representing 10 different counties. They receive donations from various groups and individuals that help pay the cost of shipping and supplies. They work with the national Quilts of Valor organization (www.qovf.org) for destinations as well as presenting locally. “Our quilts have shipped to 33 differ-
ent states, Germany and Afghanistan. To date we have presented 1,041 quilts. See SUPPORT THE TROOPS page 2
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Photo courtesy of Michael Haneke’s film Amour
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