The Quilts of Valor Foundation was founded in 2003 in Delaware and is an ongoing national service effort whose mission is to “cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.” The quilts serve as tangible reminders of appreciation and gratitude to service members and unequivocally say, “Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and valor.”

The Long Beach Chapter of Quilts of Valor is headed by Chairman, Barbara Winkler.

[caption id="attachment_3812" align="aligncenter" width="545"] Barbara tore her tendons and had surgery on her foot before Road. Being in a wheelchair did not hold her back from sharing her group’s message!! Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] They have been a vendor at Road to California since 2007, meeting quilters and piecers, encouraging them to be a part of this great cause.  Of their booth, Barbara commented, “We get great exposure at Road, making connections from all over.” [caption id="attachment_3814" align="aligncenter" width="433"] Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] The group also receives donations during the show ranging from quilt tops to selling raffle tickets for their opportunity quilt. The drawing for their opportunity quilt is held annually on Veterans Day at the Long Beach VA Hospital. During the year, Long Beach Quilts of Valor goes to various veteran events around Southern California, telling their story and presenting quilts. In 2015, they gave away 417 quilts to service members and veterans. At the time of Road 2016, they had already given away 134 quilts with 78 more being donated January 26^th to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder sufferers affiliated with the West Los Angeles Veteran Hospital. Not every recipient requests a patriotic themed quilt; it can be a painful reminder of what they went through, especially with POW’s. For those instances, Quilts of Valor volunteers make quilts in a range of colors and themes such as animals or sports. “You never know what a veteran will request. Whatever type of quilt we make, it always finds its rightful owner,” remarked Barbara. No matter what the quilt looks like, all quilts given by Quilts of Valor are numbered. [caption id="attachment_3816" align="aligncenter" width="517"] Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] Each year the Southern California Quilts of Valor in Long Beach sponsors a Sew Day at Lakewood High School. This year it will be held on Saturday, February 20^th, from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM in the school cafeteria. Between 50 and 100 students and parents are expected to participate in sewing quilts as a means to give back to the community.  Quilters from the community are welcomed to come assist the young sewers. Since the 10 years the Long Beach Quilts of Valor has been organized, they have given away over 3,480 quilts. In 2015, the chapter presented a quilt to one of the last survivors (at the time of the gift, there were only 9 alive at the time) of the USS Arizona that was sunk in Pearl Harbor. For Barbara, one of the most touching donations was to a veteran from the Korean War. “He told me he had waited 62 years for someone to say thank you.” [caption id="attachment_3813" align="aligncenter" width="555"] Photo by Brian Roberts Photography[/caption] Are you interested in helping with Quilts of Valor? Until December 31, 2016, they are sponsoring “BE A STAR – FOR OUR TROOPS” Participants are asked to contribute two star themed quilt blocks every two months. The only requirements are the blocks need to be 12.5” X 12.5” (12” finished), one block must have the focus color/print as the star with white as the background and the other block must have the color/print as the background and white as the star. The remaining two month periods and their themes are:

March thru April: Blue                                    May thru June: Patriotic

July thru August: Gold                                   September thru October: Service Branch Specific

November thru December: Maker’s Choice

Long Beach Quilts of Valor will assemble the quilts, make bindings, and supply the backings. For information about this project, Sew Day at Lakewood High School, or Long Beach Quilts of Valor, contact Barbara Winkler at 562-925-7673 or email socalqov@aol.com]]>