Many of you may have met Beverly Berry, the area coordinator for Quilts of Valor at the UC Heritage Festival. Beverly collected donations to purchase material to sew the Quilts of Valor. The mission of the Quilts of Valor is to cover service members and veterans with healing quilts of valor. Quilts are of a specific size with a label of authenticity and the awarding of the quilt is recorded.
The foundation began literally with a dream that was experienced by Catherine Roberts. Catherine’s son was serving in Iraq at the time of her dream. In the dream she witnessed a young man hunched over with despair as he sat on his cot. But his whole demeanor changed to hope and wellbeing after being wrapped in a quilt. The message to Catherine was that quilts equal healing. The foundation took root and grew as the dream was retold and the quilts were awarded. Over 23,000 quilts have been awarded in 2023. Since the foundation began in 2003, over 359,000 quilts have been awarded.
Three Union County veterans have been awarded a Quilt of Valor this year. On May 21, at the regular meeting of the Union County Historical Society, two museum volunteers, Buddy Coppock and Judson Palmer, were honored by being wrapped in Quilts of Valor.
Glenda Cooke, another museum volunteer actually made the quilts. On July 9, Beverly Berry awarded a Quilt of Valor to Marvin Jeffreys who was surrounded by family and friends at Veterans Place in Wilson Park.
Marvin also traveled to Washington, DC, with the 33rd trip of Honor Air Knoxville. Marvin joined 132 other veterans from the greater Knoxville area. They visited the WWII Memorial, the Korean Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery.
The Quilts of Valor Foundation is always looking for volunteers who sew or quilt. Anyone interested can learn more information, make a donation, or become a volunteer at the website, https://www.qovf.org/.