grandjan

I belong to a local quilt group that completes about 60-75 "service quilts" every year. They are donated to local agencies serving the young and the very old. About twice a year, we go through the stack of finished quilts and, as a group, decide which go to local nursing homes, which to local agencies serving children or adolescents. A few are reserved for our annual auction and the proceeds donated to local agencies. It's a wonderful feeling and a great opportunity to experiment with color and pattern that might be a little outside your usual.

trolleystation

Lap quilts are always needed at our County home. A great many residents do not have family and appreciate all homemade things and just the idea that someone cares about them. Also nursing homes can always use lap quilts.

njgrl4evr

[/quote]It is hard these days to tell who is legit and who is just a scam.
If you are sending a quilt to a QOV person outside of your state, it is probably a scam. Each state has a rep and the quilts should be going to that rep. Make sure you contact people before sending anything anywhere and never mark a box "quilt" on the outside or on the customs label![/quote]


NOT TRUE really.
Quilts of Valor, QOV, is for all servicemembers who "have been touched by war"
When you submit a finished quilt and request a 'destination' it is often an 'out of state' destination. They go where the need is greatest and on the destination request form there is even a place where you can request where the quilt goes and to which branch of service the person served with.
Yes there are state coordinators but the website www.qovf.org is the national site. Not every state has a state rep so you can use the national site instead.

Shiloh

I have been a coordinator for Project Linus for the past 6-7 years. It is not unusual for me to have 50+ "blankies" in my house at any given time. Gerry

Kathy T.

I'm a member of a yahoo group called Sunshine Quilter's Online Guild and we quilt for two children's groups. One sends quilts along with the medical teams that repair children's cleft palates (like Smile Train) and the other send quilts to children in orphanages and missions worldwide (including the USA). See more on these two groups at:
http://www.rotaplast.org/partners/wrapasmile.php
and
http://www.wraptheminlove.org/

You can also google Sunshine Quilter's Online Guild to get to that site. The quilts are smaller since they are child-size and work up quickly. It's very gratifying and I hope you find a donation group that you love. Bless your heart for thinking of others in your retirement.

Kathy T.

BTW, I just noticed that your location is in Maine. The group I mentioned in an earlier message called Wrap-a-Smile is affiliated with the Rotary Club in Wells, Maine! What a coincidence ...

Happy Quilting.

Granny Coy

I am in psychiatric therapy for clinical depression, and my therapy group makes quilts for long term foster care children. We also buy thrift shop back-packs and suitcases so the kids will have something to carry their quilts in when they move from home to home. This is much better therapy than just sitting around talking about your problems. I always feel warm and fuzzy after two hours of quilt making with my group.

All Thumbs

Most of my charity quilts go to either Project Linus or the battered women's center in our county. I have also sewn for breast cancer causes and binky blankets for war efforts (this one has been disbanded because of lack of funds for shipping to soldiers overseas--how sad). My goal this year is to make charity pillowcases since I have a lot of good fabric in small quantities which would make great accent bands. I also would like to make some Quilts of Valor for wounded soldiers. Just way too many places that need items. Thank you to all who help made charity quilts. And, may our fingers be blessed with years of sewing.

All Thumbs

So true, Granny Coy! I live with arthritis and making charity quilts keeps me active and of sound mind--rather than whining about the aches and pains.

jgangloff

You might also check with your local cancer treatment centers. Our guild has made several lap size quilts for a center one of our members was receiving treatment from. The patients like to wrap up in them during treatment and often request the same quilt each time. Sometimes they are so attached to their special quilt, they are given the quilt at the end of treatment.