Veterans honored with keepsake quilt

ONTARIO — Established Sept. 12, 2001, Operations Quilts/America’s Mothers has given more than 6,500 quilts to active duty, honorably discharged and retired members of all branches and conflicts.

The venture started with quilts made to government guidelines going to active duty military members.

Following Sept. 11, donations were abundant from fabric suppliers, as well as individual donations of material, talent and money, but that is no longer the case.

The organization was shipping 20 to 30 blankets at a time to a Vancouver, Washington hospital for the returning wounded. Due to the high cost of shipping, that program was discontinued.