Quilts
of
Valour
Story and photos by Kati Panasiuk
Appreciation feels even warmer with a quilted hug of support.
In 2006, Lezley Zwaal made and delivered three quilts to wounded
soldiers in an Edmonton Hospital. It made such an impression, Quilts of
Valour Canada officially became a registered charity in 2009. Since then,
quilters have made and presented 7,500 quilts to veterans across
Canada. Hoping to reach their 10,000 quilt goal by 2018, local military
chaplains and military support groups deliver the quilts to soldiers. Many
are still recovering from physical and psychological effects from their
service overseas.
The ladies of Quilts of Valour Canada in Windsor come together every
month to volunteer their time and give quilts to wounded veterans across
the country. Janet Bergeron is the Regional Representative for QOVC and
has made 13 quilts since she began in late May. "Our goal is to get as
many WWII Veterans as we can while they are still with us," Bergeron
said. "Then we will focus on the Korean War and Afghanistan, active and
retired. Our focus is on any Canadian Armed Forces, as they all deserve
quilted hugs."