Tequesta Terrace Assisted Living is proud to announce the Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters (a chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation) as the 2019 recipients of the senior living community’s Good Neighbor Award. The award acknowledges the significant work of local organizations that give back to the greater community. The Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters were chosen for the award as a result of the group’s dedication to carrying forth the mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, which is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. The group handcrafts and presents heirloom-quality quilts to local veterans as thanks for their service. The Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters will be awarded a $1,000 gift from Tequesta Terrace during a special ceremony held at the community on Friday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m. During the ceremony, veteran and resident Robert “Bob” Hallock will receive his own Quilt of Valor for his service during World War II. Hallock, 97, served in the Army Air Corps as a radio operator and a gunner. For his daughter, Doris Lynch, Hallock’s recognition by the Quilts of Valor Foundation is incredibly meaningful and is a fitting honor for her father.
“I’m happy to see my dad receive this recognition because he’s always doing something for others,” said Lynch. “Dad is a product of his generation and would never seek out any kind of recognition for himself, so it’ll be special to see him be honored. It’s wonderful to see organizations like the Quilts of Valor Foundation supporting our veterans and recognizing what they’ve done for our country. There was a time when that wasn’t always the case, and it’s heartening to know that all of our veterans are celebrated for their efforts.”
Such sentiments are echoed by Mary Jacobs, a veteran and resident of Tequesta Terrace who was also a recipient of a Quilt of Valor, and who sees providing this recognition to the Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters as the perfect way for the community to say thank you.
“After all of my years in the service, I have never received anything as beautiful as this quilt,” said Jacobs. “My quilt is absolutely wonderful, and I’m blessed to have such a thoughtful item to remind me of my service. I’m so thankful to everyone who participated in making it for me.”
The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit charity organization dedicated to covering all service members and veterans wounded physically or psychologically with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. The organization began in 2003 after the organization’s founder, Catherine Roberts (whose son Nat was deployed in Iraq), had a dream which led her to start an organization where volunteers could donate their time and materials to make a quilt. Supporting the organization and the Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters is incredibly meaningful to the senior living community, as several residents of Tequesta Terrace have been the recipients of these special quilts.
“At Tequesta Terrace, we are home to a number of veterans and are honored to have them call our community home,” said Patti Robillard-Hudak, executive director of Tequesta Terrace. “We’re thankful for local organizations like the Quilts of Valor Foundation - Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters and their dedication to serving the greater community. These incredible women selflessly give their time to ensure that our veterans feel comforted and supported, and it’s an honor to have the ability to give back and do something special for them. The Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters are a natural choice for the Good Neighbor Award, as they embody the spirit of being a good neighbor and work to guarantee that everyone in the greater community lives life to the fullest. We hope that with this recognition, others will also pay it forward and look for ways to be a good neighbor.”
According to Theresa Anderson, the founder and co-leader of the Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters, receiving this honor from Tequesta Terrace was an unexpected joy and a reminder that the group’s efforts are making a difference in the lives of local veterans. While group members work on their projects individually, they gather each month to work together and prepare the quilts.
“I was incredibly surprised when I found out we were being recognized in such a way,” said Anderson. “You never expect to receive attention for doing something that you love, and more importantly, it gives back to those who need it most. The majority of us are retired, so this is our way to give back and say thank you in a way that is meaningful and personal to us. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling when we present one of our quilts to a veteran and get to see their reaction. Quite simply, it makes you want to go home and start another immediately so you can do it all over again. Receiving a quilt may seem a simple thing, but this truly makes a difference in the lives of our nation’s veterans, and we’re proud to have the opportunity to show them our gratitude. We look forward to the opportunity to celebrate with Tequesta Terrace and visit with those past quilt recipients and be further encouraged in our mission.”
For those interested in nominating a current or former service member to receive a quilt, please visit www.qovf.org for more information. Additionally, if you would like to provide quilting materials or donations of any kind to the Palm Beach Patriotic Quilters, please drop them off at Tequesta Terrace anytime during business hours (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and they will make sure they are received by the group. All fabric donations are accepted, and if the group is unable to use them to make the quilts of valor, they are either re-donated to other local quilting organizations or used by members in their other philanthropic efforts.