Help needed to craft quilts for veterans

MAT-SU — An effort is under way in Alaska to craft and share quilts with combat veterans through Quilts of Valor.

Although volunteers across the country have made and shared more than 45,000 wartime quilts since 2003, the program is expanding its presence in Alaska, according to Linda Kau, who recently volunteered to be the Alaska regional coordinator for Quilts of Valor Foundation.

More quilters are needed, Kau said, because each month there is a waiting list of about 150 warriors.

“We’d like to close that gap so that no one has to wait,” she said. “One of my tasks is to contact quilters all across Alaska to enlist their help in covering as many of our service members (past and present) with beautiful quilts in an effort to show our support.”

She said the public also is invited to learn more about the foundation, or to donate a quilt for a combat warrior.

“Our mission is to cover all veterans touched by war,” Kau said. “I’ve received some touching responses from recipients of the quilts I’ve sent that show how a little ‘thank you for your service’ can mean a lot to our warriors.”

For more information, visit qovf.org, or contact Kau at (907) 864-0770 or lindak@qovf.org.