Editor,

We have all been working diligently to get quilts finished to be able to present to our Whidbey veterans. I am working with the South End and North End island veteran resource and support groups to get names for this month’s presentation in recognition of Memorial Day.

One of the special things about these quilts is how many people are involved in making them. We counted recently that there are about eight to 14 different hands that have touched these quilts. The hands have been those of children, boys and girls, men and women, experienced and non-experienced. Hands have bought and donated the fabric, cut the fabric, sewn the fabric, pressed the fabric and sewn more fabric together to put into a design. Then someone machine-quilted the pieced fabric, batting and backing together, sewed on the binding, washed the quilts when finished, someone made the labels for the quilts, someone put the labels on the quilts, someone made the custom bags for each quilt and made custom labels for that bag. Then someone finds a veteran to present the quilts to and then finally that veteran receives this amazing quilt that was made with so much love and care. All these hands want that veteran to know that someone on the island cares that they served this country and wants to honor them now that they are home.

The Whidbey Island community can also help by sending us some names of veterans who may not have gone to one of the resource centers. You may know of a veteran who served our country and may need to be recognized and honored by the gift of a quilt. We are not funded by any organization to make these quilts. All the fabric, batting and supplies have been donated. The Deer Lagoon Grange has donated the space for us to sew the quilts. Without these donations we could not do what we are doing right now. This is so amazing that this is so “grass roots” of true Whidbey Island hearts giving to our Veterans.

ANITA M. SMITH

Clinton