thedrifter
01-25-08, 07:41 AM
Quilters contribute a fabric of recovery for veterans
By Linda McIntosh
TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS
January 25, 2008
OCEANSIDE – Loretta Harry painted red stars and hearts across a quilt she made out of old blue jeans.
As she cut and sewed, Harry thought of the troops in Iraq.
In red letters, she painted, “Thank you.”
“I hope the troops who need it see the prayers and love that goes into it,” she said.
Harry's quilt is part of a community effort to support Marines coming back from Iraq with combat stress.
Denim quilts are being sold to raise money for Operation Recovery, an Oceanside-based program that provides therapeutic activities, such as gardening and carpentry, for active-duty service members and veterans.
The program is recruiting volunteers to make more quilts and folks to buy them.
On Wednesday evenings, a group of quilters get together at El Camino High School in Oceanside to cut and sew the “recovery quilts,” as they are called.
“It's not just sew, sew, work, work – there's a lot of laughter and fun, too,” said Connie Dowell.
Dowell, who comes from Vista, joined the group after dropping off her donation of denim and seeing that the material far outnumbered the sewers.
Since Bob Bornt got Operation Recovery off the ground last fall and put out a call for old jeans to make quilts, he received 1,400 pairs from community members.
Sewing is being done at El Camino High and independently at homes, churches and in classrooms around North County.
“The idea of making these quilts is to involve the community and show support for our veterans,” Bornt said.
“The quilt in a way represents what Operation Recovery is all about,” Bornt said. “The denim jean is the American working man's fabric.”
The program is about using work in a garden to come to terms with difficult emotions and work off stress.
Bornt, a licensed marriage and family therapist and third generation farmer runs the program out of a barn behind Mission San Luis Rey.
“There is healing power in working with the soil,” said Bornt, who has a master's degree in clinical psychology.
Bornt is reaching out to Camp Pendleton Marines and their families with the belief that gardening and construction activities will be a way to relieve stress.
“The program is not about diagnosing anyone, but about providing a safe place to process one's feelings and reach emotional flexibility,” Bornt said.
The program is partly funded by a nonprofit Bornt founded called Farm Hands.
“We need to do as much we can for our veterans to show we care for them and care about what they're doing for the country,” said Roberta Rose, who makes quilts with her small faith group at St. Peter's Catholic Community in Fallbrook.
“Whenever we make a quilt we include prayers so the veterans are not forgotten,” Rose said.
Linda McIntosh: (760) 752-6756; linda.mcintosh@tlnews.net
Ellie
By Linda McIntosh
TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS
January 25, 2008
OCEANSIDE – Loretta Harry painted red stars and hearts across a quilt she made out of old blue jeans.
As she cut and sewed, Harry thought of the troops in Iraq.
In red letters, she painted, “Thank you.”
“I hope the troops who need it see the prayers and love that goes into it,” she said.
Harry's quilt is part of a community effort to support Marines coming back from Iraq with combat stress.
Denim quilts are being sold to raise money for Operation Recovery, an Oceanside-based program that provides therapeutic activities, such as gardening and carpentry, for active-duty service members and veterans.
The program is recruiting volunteers to make more quilts and folks to buy them.
On Wednesday evenings, a group of quilters get together at El Camino High School in Oceanside to cut and sew the “recovery quilts,” as they are called.
“It's not just sew, sew, work, work – there's a lot of laughter and fun, too,” said Connie Dowell.
Dowell, who comes from Vista, joined the group after dropping off her donation of denim and seeing that the material far outnumbered the sewers.
Since Bob Bornt got Operation Recovery off the ground last fall and put out a call for old jeans to make quilts, he received 1,400 pairs from community members.
Sewing is being done at El Camino High and independently at homes, churches and in classrooms around North County.
“The idea of making these quilts is to involve the community and show support for our veterans,” Bornt said.
“The quilt in a way represents what Operation Recovery is all about,” Bornt said. “The denim jean is the American working man's fabric.”
The program is about using work in a garden to come to terms with difficult emotions and work off stress.
Bornt, a licensed marriage and family therapist and third generation farmer runs the program out of a barn behind Mission San Luis Rey.
“There is healing power in working with the soil,” said Bornt, who has a master's degree in clinical psychology.
Bornt is reaching out to Camp Pendleton Marines and their families with the belief that gardening and construction activities will be a way to relieve stress.
“The program is not about diagnosing anyone, but about providing a safe place to process one's feelings and reach emotional flexibility,” Bornt said.
The program is partly funded by a nonprofit Bornt founded called Farm Hands.
“We need to do as much we can for our veterans to show we care for them and care about what they're doing for the country,” said Roberta Rose, who makes quilts with her small faith group at St. Peter's Catholic Community in Fallbrook.
“Whenever we make a quilt we include prayers so the veterans are not forgotten,” Rose said.
Linda McIntosh: (760) 752-6756; linda.mcintosh@tlnews.net
Ellie