Wounded Warrior Project

“I feel very positive about the Wounded Warrior Project.

They present you with opportunities you don’t even think about when you’re in the hospital. You try new things, new activities.

It helps very much because, when you’re injured, you don’t know what you’re

going to be able to do.

And through WWP, you get a sense of pride, a sense of belonging,

a sense that you can still do things in the world.”

Javier Alvarez, USMC*

"The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a non-profit organization aimed at assisting those men and women of the United States armed forces who have been severely injured during the war on terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world. Beginning at the bedside of the severely wounded, WWP provides programs and services designated to ease the burdens of these heroes and their families, aid in the recovery process, and smooth the transition back to civilian life."

I hadn't heard of the WWP until recently. In September, the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, in conjunction with the WWP, is sponsoring a retreat for about 30 warriors. They put out a request to local quilters to make patriotic quilts so that each person attending the retreat would find a quilt on their bed upon arrival at the camp.

No one had to twist my arm. I searched through my fabric "stash" then headed straight to the store to find matching reds, whites and blues. There is nothing in the world that soothes my rattled nerves like cutting up pieces of fabric and sewing them back together again for a totally different look.

Cut. Sew. Press.

Oh how I love a quilting mess!

I can't quilt by hand anymore so I've had to make peace with having my tops machine quilted. It's as close to the real thing as I'm going to get these days. I've found a lady in town who has a long arm quilter set up in her living room. Dad and Sweetie have driven to her house with me but both refuse to get out of the car. Personally I think they are being a little stubborn. But maybe they are just being frugal. I'm pretty sure once they see how the machine looks sitting in the middle of the room, they'll want to rush right out and buy me one.

When I took the tops to the quilter last week, I had no idea how I was going to pay for them. I just knew they had to get done. I made an announcement at church about the WWP retreat, asked people to write letters and pray for the retreat participants. I also asked for donations which is something that does not come easy for me. In a matter of minutes, just like miracle of the fishes and loaves, my pockets were stuffed with greenbacks. I had more than enough to pay for the two quilts I had made, plus one more if I get busy cutting up more fabric. Throw me in that brier patch!

There is something that feels so good about making a quilt for somebody else. It must be because I love them so much myself. I still wrap myself in a red and white Lone Star quilt that my grandmother made years ago whenever I'm feeling a little fluish. And when I'm feeling blue, I curl up under a quilt that whose well-worn muslin is soft and soothing. Sweetie likes to sit in his recliner with a quilt pulled up to the tip of his nose. Even the cats seem to love a quilt, as if each patchwork beauty in the house is there just for a fussy feline's fancy.

At the risk of tooting my own horn I just wanted to share these quilts with you. It seems like a small price to pay for the sacrifices these warriors have made for me/us.

Wishing you a world at peace all wrapped up in a pretty cotton quilt,

Merry ME

For more information, please call (877) TEAM WWP (832-6997) or visit http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

*Alvarez did three combat tours in Iraq during his military service seeing extensive fighting.