By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
Marsha Reep was working at Mobile Meals in Knoxville when someone heard that she was also a quilter and invited her to join a chapter of Quilts of Valor. Eight years later, Reep is now the group leader and continues to make patriotic quilts by hand and present them to individual military veterans or active-duty men and women.
“I don’t have any difficulty in getting volunteers,” she told The Focus, noting that about 20 other people are involved locally in the group that serves Knox, Blount, Union, Claiborne and sometimes other counties in our area.
She said it takes up to a year or more after someone is suggested as deserving the honor, depending on the number of requests.
“Those who qualify do so because they had a tragedy of war. They either served actively in a conflict or were touched by a conflict that took place while they served,” she explained, adding, “We don’t investigate each person.”
Reep said that while sometimes a veteran requests a quilt, more often a relative, friend, or an institution makes the suggestion.
“We go to Ben Atchley Veterans Home, veterans’ groups, assisted living centers and make presentations at lots of churches,” she said.
“We have really great volunteers in our chapter, which is North Knoxville Chapter 567. The Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild helps us. Other volunteers include Susie Cox, Donna Buswell, Anne Click, Sandy Brock, Vickie Fox, Suzanne Lynch, Judy and Sandy Kendrick, Dennis and Doyleen Taylor and many more.
“We have sewings twice a year at the Karns Senior Center. And we present quilts on many Saturdays at the free veteran breakfasts around the area. At this time, there are 17 veterans’ breakfasts each month.”
The Quilts of Valor Foundation was founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, whose son was deployed to Iraq. Roberts dreamed that her son was wrapped in a quilt that protected and soothed him. “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: Quilts = Healing.”
Roberts began seeking volunteers to help design and make quilts to be given to veterans and active-duty service men and women, and she required the quilts to be quality-made, not “charity quilts.” They were to be quilted by hand and awarded for service, sacrifice and valor in serving the country.
More than 350,000 quilts have been created and awarded. Any service member or veteran’s family may request a quilt and there’s an online nomination form available at www.qovf.org/nominate_qov_tbw_certify/
Marsha Reep can be reached at 865-206-5479.
