Quilts of Valor

public reception: Friday, July 5, 6-8 p.m.
Quilt  presentation at 7:30 p.m.
on display July 2-31

The Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003, quite literally, with a dream, when founder Catherine Roberts’ son Nat was deployed in Iraq.  According to Catherine, her dream was “as vivid as real life. I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change. The message of my dream was clear: quilts = healing.”

The model appeared simple: a volunteer team would donate their time and materials to make a quilt. One person would piece the top and the other would quilt it. These special quilts would be called Quilts of Valor. They would be awarded to those who had served in the military, and would say unequivocally, “Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation.”