Philanthropic

At a recent philanthropy workshop, Louene Hetrick worked on fleece neck
gators for American service men and women deployed to the Middle East.

Lunch with A Few Wounded Marines

My husband and I spent a restless, almost sleepless night on December 3rd, knowing the next day would be spent with wounded Marines. When we discussed our lack of sleep, I was surprised that Rog was as nervous as I about offending or embarrassing those young men and women by an unguarded expression or a thoughtless statement. We forgot the Marine Corps seeks a few good (and brave) men and women, all of them volunteers. We should have slept. Now I would like to tell you about a most satisfying day in my life, all due to a Marine’s wife who is actively involved with Soldiers Angels, an organization dedicated to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and their families.

Our destination was the Naval Hospital, San Diego. A storm landed over southern California just as we left Orange County, so everything about the morning was drab and cheerless, wet and foreboding. Our assignment was to help serve lunch to wounded Marines. The location was a large, stark room in the hospital barracks. At first it was just like any guild meeting – tables were wheeled in, set up and covered; chairs were found and arranged; enough food for an Army was brought from vans; drinks were iced in big buckets; then Marines began to trickle into the room. On crutches, in a wheelchair, or ambulatory, the Marines brought energy, excitement, smiles, camaraderie, a thirst for conversation, and an appetite. Thirty-odd young Marines waded through two turkeys, a ham, and all the accompaniments in very short order. Then I had the honor of presenting Christmas stockings, quilts, and pillowcases. Our last duty of the day was presenting stockings, quilts, and pillowcases to men still in ICU, isolation, and the surgical floor. What a marvelous and sobering experience that was!

Soldiers Angels filled our stockings with toiletries, telephone cards, gift certificates to both fast food restaurants located on the hospital grounds, CDs, DVDs, beef jerky, candy, and other small items. The stockings were greatly appreciated. As they were examined, I overheard comments such as, “I don’t care what this movie is, it’s my favorite,” and, “This is the best gift I’ve ever had.” I was accused of running a sweat shop – of course, I claimed to wield a cat-o’-nine-tails to crank out stockings and quilts for those Marines.

About the Marines: No one can click heels and snap a salute like a Marine on guard duty. In casual civvies, you can still tell a Marine. He’s sharp. He’s snappy. He has very short hair. He’s proud. He’s alert. He, and she, makes me proud to know him. He discusses statistics for college quarterbacks, running backs, and teams in or eliminated from the Bowl games. That’s not all – he likes Christmas stockings and quilts as gifts and realizes you spent precious time making those things! The only female in the group said the guys are helping her through her travail like a large band of big brothers. I gave tangible gifts, but I received far more from the Marines who gave us a wonderful, never to be forgotten day. Thank you for giving me quilts, stockings, and pillowcases to share with out community, because without those items I would have missed the pride and the joy those young Marines have for their country.

Happy New Year,
Judi Rhoades

These quilts were made by members of the Flying Geese Quilters Guild for our 2004 philanthropy project. They were presented to a residential home for teens, to Someone Cares soup kitchen for a senior citizen on Mother's Day, or to the Orange Police Department for children removed from a traumatic situation.

	Judi Rhoades showing off a quilt made at a Philanthropy workshop. She said of this quilt, "What do you do with 'ugly' blocks leftover from a project? Here's a suggestion: make another quilt and donate it to Philanthropy! That's what we did at one of our Wednesday gatherings and this quilt emerged from our discarded blocks."

A philanthropy quilt top made by Kay Yu-Kim. Kay made the top from headers donated by Hoffman Fabrics to FGQG Philanthropy Committee.

	The quilt the philanthropy committee donated to the auction.

Philanthropy Days at Flying Geese Fabric

Some photos from February 2005



Philanthropy