Quilts for Kids
New Location: Grandstaff Library,
hours 4:30 - 6:30 pm, Thursdays
Marty Alexander,
Fort Lewis Employee of the Quarter!
Marty is being honored for her leadership in the Quilts for Kids
project.
Volunteers are getting together to make quilts for children of
deployed parents, just wanting to give a little comfort. A great project,
anyone is welcome to join in. Sessions are Thursday afternoons at 4:30 PM
- 6:30 PM
at the Grandstaff Library Bldg 2109. Call 253-966-1320 for more info
A poem that says it all,
written by Marty's daughter is now included with the quilts.
Click
here
to read the Quilts
for Kids Poem.
From Fort Lewis MWR Spotlight Fall 2003 (Times of the quilting sessions have been changed since this was written they are now 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the location is now Grandstaff Library)
Comfort Quilts
Helping Children Cope with Parent's Deployments
Four o'clock on a Thursday afternoon and the Army Community Service classroom is buzzing with the sounds of laughter and sewing machines. Every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m., civilians, retirees and soldiers get together to make quilts for children who are having difficulties with having a parent deployed.
"I wanted to do something special for the kids," said Marty Alexander, a library technician at Grandstaff Library. With the encouragement of her sister Barbara Rhodes, Alexander decided to start the quilting club. "I was watching Home & Garden TV and saw how to make the six-hour quilt," said Alexander. "After I made a quilt in four hours, I thought we could make several in the same amount of time by assembly line and give them to kids in crises. I knew some of the kids in the children's library, Book Patch, were behaving differently since their parent(s) had been deployed. I wasn't sure if I could get the quilts to the kids who needed them most so I contacted Mary Herrera at Army Community Service family services. She assured me that she could use all the quilts we could make."
Alexander discussed the possibility of using a room in Grandstaff Library for making the quilts with Chief Librarian Bonnie Tucker.
"Assuring her that I would not use work time to do the project, the first step was to find out how many people would be interested in participating," said Alexander. "I made flyers and distributed them to the Directorate of Community Activities, put them on bulletin boards, the circulation desk at the library and at ACS. Thirteen people attended the first meeting--I was expecting maybe five or six! With that many people, the library would not have enough room. ACS volunteered their classroom for the project. We agreed on starting the quilts on April 24; 20 people arrived at 4 p.m. to start quilting."
The six-hour quilt is made in such a way that it doesn't need to be layered in the traditional way, explained Alexander. "Some of the material came from my 'stash' (of fabric), ACS donated enough material to make about 25 quilts and almost everyone who came to the first quilt session brought some material."
Sewing machines and quilting supplies are brought in each week by Alexander, ACS family services staff member Donna Arias and "quilt experts" Valerie Valentine and Ute Jarasitis.
"All of us pass around tips and hints, showing others how to put the project together quickly and easily," Alexander said.
Materials for the project have been donated by individuals and a few businesses in the local community, but supplies are always needed, said Alexander.
"As for cost, one yard of 100 percent cotton material varies in price from 'on sale' for $1 a yard up to $8-$10 a yard for quilter's cotton. Low loft batting is usually about $7 for queen size," she added.
Volunteers do not need sewing experience, said Alexander. Cutting the 6-inch strips of material and batting and pinning is one way to help.
"I don't quilt. Right now I'm cutting. But this is something that makes me feel good inside," said retired library technician Lillian Davis.
Ten quilts have been given to the Madigan Army Medical Center to distribute through social services family advocacy; children in counseling have been the first recipients, said Alexander. The quilts are presented in a gift bag with a jar of hot chocolate mix, both donated by ACS, with a special card that reads: "This quilt is most effective when accompanied by a hug and a cup of hot chocolate."
"Jody Evans, the children library technician has given me a list of six children who are having difficulty with their parents' deployment. The fire department, military police and the chaplain at the Family Life Center were also contacted. The criteria for receiving a quilt is any child that needs a little extra 'tender loving care'," Alexander added. "As long as I can keep people interested, we will make the quilts."
"This shows the kids that they are cared about," said Arias, who helps with the quilt project by setting up the ACS classroom, sewing, cutting, ironing, pinning and putting the gift bags together. It's something they can keep forever.
Information on how to make a six-hour quilt is available at the web site www.kayewood.com.
(Contributed by Nicole Payne and Marty Alexander, Fort Lewis Library System; POC: Marty Alexander, marty.alexander@us.army.mil)
Read more on this wonderful program on the Department of Defense website: DOD Website
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