Operation Kid Comfort

Emily's Example of Dedicated Service

2011-02-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Operation Kid Comfort is fortunate to have many dedicated volunteers. Each is committed to the our 'OpKids', and our mission to serve the children of those who serve America, by generously creating free photo-transfer comfort quilts and pillows as they await a parent's return from service overseas.

Now and then, we like to highlight an extra special volunteer. Today, we honor Emily Newton.

Growing up in a military family, Emily knows first-hand the difficulties facing 'America's Littlest Heroes', the children of our deployed service men and women. Along with her siblings Katie, Mary, and John, she has withstood the many separations from her father with grace and dignity. Through Operation Kid Comfort, Emily has served other children from her community, helping them cope with deployments in their families.

Emily began volunteering for Operation Kid Comfort in 2003 when she was just ten years old. With a keen eye for matching colors and patterns, Emily enjoyed sorting donated fabric for our quilt kits. She quickly became adept at processing incoming and outgoing requests and then the tasks of scanning, editing and printing images on fabric to include in the quilts. Before we knew it, Emily was an expert quilter, constructing beautiful quilts for other children in the Fort Bragg community.

Imagine our surprise, and pride, to see Emily at fourteen years old, organizing quilting events and instructing adult volunteers on the many tasks of Operation Kid Comfort. This is why in 2008 Emily was awarded with our Armed Services YMCA Teen Volunteer of the Year. Simply put: Emily is amazing!

This year, Emily will graduate from high school as class President! As she makes plans for what promises to be a bright future, all of us at Operation Kid Comfort wish her well in her journey. Truly a shining star, we are confident that Emily will succeed in whatever she puts her mind to.

Tis' the season of generosity!

2010-12-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

Last week, Operation Kid Comfort received two amazing and much-needed donations. As long time members of the Operation Kid Comfort family, we are especially grateful to both Clothworks and Megamat for helping us fulfill our mission To Support the Children of Those Who Support America. We are sure you will be equally impressed with their assistance and products.

Remember that first box of 'colors' you used in kindergarten. Red and orange, green and blue, shiny yellow, purple too . . . Do you long for those bright true colors in your quilts? Well, Kathy York's Urban Landscapes from Clothworks will color your world!

Kathy's colorful fun quilts have thrilled many for some time now. Imagine our joy to hear she has her own line of fabrics loaded with bright colors, fun shapes and patterns! Perfect for our OpKids, we couldn't wait to include these wonderful fabrics in our quilts, and Clothworks sent us six bolts to 'play' with. Our volunteers are working with them now, so check back to see Operation Kid Comfort quilts created from Kathy York's Urban Landscapes.

What is the best mat to cut those fabrics on? A huge 32” X 53” Quilters Rule Megamat, of course!

Back in 2003, Megamat donated Quilters Rule mats and quilting tools to help us launch Operation Kid Comfort. These thick and easy to read mats have stood up to a lot of use from a variety of quilters, novice to experienced. But as you can imagine, with hundreds of volunteers making thousands of quilts, for all these years, we are well past time for replacements. Megamat came to our rescue again with two large mats. If we could get seven years out of our past mats, imagine how long they would last in the home quilting studio?

And this week, we were happily surprised to see Operation Kid Comfort the subject of Jerry’s Artarama blog: The Splatter. Blog writer Theresa Brown of Art Marketing Experts provided a wonderful article about Operation Kid Comfort and its history. Thank you both for highlighting our efforts to your audience.

We thank Clothworks, Megamat and Jerry's Artorama for remembering and honoring our very brave military families. Join us and all the supporters of Operation Kid Comfort in remembering our troops overseas, especially during this holiday season when the separation of parent and child can be especially difficult.

There is no better way to support our troops than to care for their families while they are away.

To donate to Operation Kid Comfort or any of the very special programs of the Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg via PayPal, please visit: www.braggasymca.org or send your donation to:

Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg
208 Thorncliff Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28303

Happy Holidays to you and yours,

Ann Flaherty
Founder, Operation Kid Comfort

Thank You HP

2010-11-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

It has been seven years since we first launched Operation Kid Comfort at Fort Bragg. An ongoing program of appreciation to our military families, Operation Kid Comfort quilts and pillows continue to be free of charge to America's Littlest Heroes, the children of our deployed service men and women.

Over the years, we've filled thousands of requests for our quilts. With nine photographs printed on fabric incorporated into each quilt, reliable printers are a must for this operation. Additionally, the process is costly.

From day one, Operation Kid Comfort has received the support of Hewlett-Packard Company. Last week, our friends at HP delivered a new HP Photosmart e-All in one Series D110 printer along with replacement ink cartridges to our workshop. In a word --- phenomenal!

Just right for the desktop, our volunteers find this printer the perfect tool to scan and print images for Operation Kid Comfort quilts and pillows. Fabric sheets print with ease and clarity.

All of us at Operation Kid Comfort and the Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg are grateful for the continuous support of HP. As we strive to Serve the Children of Those Who Serve America, and take comfort in knowing we can count on the many volunteers, contributors and corporations such as HP to assist us in that mission.

On behalf of the thousands of children we serve: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Sincerely,

Ann Flaherty

Founder, Operation Kid Comfort

We Couldn't Do It Without You!

2010-10-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

Operation Kid Comfort is grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who we rely on to meet the needs of thousands of children. Industry donations are especially important to that success. Highlighted here are two recent donations from Simplicity and Aurifil that our volunteers are raving about.

Simplicity donated not one, but TWO Deluxe Rotary Cutter and Embossing Machines to assist us in cutting the many strips necessary for Operation Kid Comfort Quilts and Pillows. Very easy to use and adjustable to the size needed, in our case 4 1/2”, our volunteers can zip through this task without wearing out shoulders, elbows and wrists. I know this machine will make a big difference for me and my carpal tunnel.

Another great company that is creating smiles for our volunteers and 'OpKids' is Aurifil thread company. Aurifil's donation of assorted threads are enhancing Operation Kid Comfort quilts and pillows with bright and beautiful colors. Our volunteers love the ease of these threads in any machine. The variegated add a bit of cheer to our quilts.

All of us at the Operation Kid Comfort welcome Simplicity and Aurifil to our family. We ask you to remember their commitment to America's Littlest Heroes, the children of our deployed service men and women, when making your quilting purchases.

Thank you all who donate to Operation Kid Comfort. We couldn't do it without you! If you haven't donated in the past, please consider becoming part of Operation Kid Comfort's mission to Serve the Children of Those Who Serve America by donating materials, cash and time.

With heart felt appreciation,

Ann Flaherty

Founder, Operation Kid Comfort

Obama Visits Operation Kid Comfort

2010-09-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you Mr. President!

On behalf of the hundreds of volunteers who make Operation Kid Comfort a success, we appreciate your visit to the ASYMCA Washington, D.C. event in honor of the September 11^th National Day of Service.

Across the country, Operation Kid Comfort volunteers create individual photo-transfer quilts and pillows for America's Littlest Heroes, the children of our deployed service men and women. Founded on Make A Difference Day, 2003, more than 7,000 children have been recipients of these very special gifts. And...wow...have we made a difference!

Our 'OpKids' all delight in having a tangible, huggable and washable set of photos to curl up with while their parents are overseas. Our parents are grateful that they will not be forgotten during long deployments. And our volunteers relish the opportunity to support our troops in such a personal and meaningful way.

Thank you President Obama for recognizing this very special program. The many people of Operation Kid Comfort appreciate your visit.

Sincerely,

Ann Flaherty

Founder, Operation Kid Comfort

Comfort! Create! Unite!

Operation Kid Comfort is a FREE program of the Armed Services YMCA that provides photo-transfer quilts and pillows to children of our deployed service men and women. We rely on our supporters and volunteers for continued success. Please contact us at operationkidcomfort@gmail.com for further information.

Please DONATE to help with Operation Kid Comfort.

Photos are courtesy of Greater DC Cares

God Bless America Quilts Support Operation Kid Comfort

2009-11-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Veteran's Day and to honor the many military families of the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area, The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance, will host part of the God Bless America Quilt Tour from November 7 -14, 2009. The event will be held in conjunction with the Veteran's Day Parade on November 7^th at the offices of the Downtown Alliance, and the ASYMCA office on Fort Bragg. A total of thirty patriotic quilts from across the USA will be displayed between the two venues.

Available at the exhibits, will be the book Thanking Our Troops: God Bless America Touring Quilts, that include a gallery of patriotic quilts, essays on the many quilt programs that support our military, and instructions to make some of the quilts included in the book. All proceeds will support Operation Kid Comfort, the ASYMCA program that provides free photo-transfer quilts to America's Littlest Heroes, the children of our deployed service members. The book can also be ordered through the ASYMCA website at: http://braggasymca.org/shop/index.htm.

During the Veteran's Day festivities on November 7^th, ASYMCA volunteers will be manning the display at the Downtown Alliance from 10 am until 2 pm, demonstrating how the Operation Kid Comfort quilts are made.

With 45 children from Fort Bragg currently waiting for quilts, and more orders arriving daily as deployments increase, Operation Kid Comfort is in need of volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, we will have kits with all the necessary components ready to sew at the event, or you may sign up for our free workshops.

Additionally, we will have information on how a child you know can receive a FREE quilt or pillow from Operation Kid Comfort. Quilts are provided to children five and under; pillows are provided to children 6 – 12 years.

As deployments increase, so does demand for the many services that the ASYMCA provides. As you visit the quilts of the the God Bless America Quilt Tour, please take a few moments to learn more about our services and how you can participate. We look forward to seeing you.

Hours of Operation:

Downtown Alliance

222 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC

910-222-3382

www.fayettevillealliance.com

Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5 pm

November 7, 2009/Veteran's Day Parade: 10 am – 2 pm

ASYMCA of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB

Bldg. 2-2411 Jackson St.

Ft. Bragg, NC

910-436-0500

www.braggasymca.org

Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Support the Arts AND Operation Kid Comfort!!

2009-09-05T12:47:00.001-07:00

Comfort! Create! Unite!

with

ARTQUILTStransitions

and the

Fayetteville Museum of Art.

Please take this opportunity to support Operation Kid Comfort while enjoying a fine art exhibit comprised of fine art quilts from some of the most talented artists in the field. Fayetteville Museum of Art of Fayetteville, NC will host ARTQUILTStransitions, the seventh annual juried exhibit of the Professional Art Quilters Alliance - South, from September 12 through November 1, 2009, with the Premiere Party on September 11, 2009 from 6-8 pm.

In lieu of the $5 entry free, and to honor the spirit of September 11th, America's National Day of Service, please bring a donation of materials to support Operation Kid Comfort.

Operation Kid Comfort, a free program of the Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB, provides free photo-transfer comfort quilts and pillows to America's Littlest Heroes, the children of our deployed service men and women, as well as an opportunity for the community to unite in support of our military overseas.

Below is a list of suggested materials for donation to Operation Kid Comfort:

1 yard of 100% cotton fabric suitable for children's quilts
1 yard of 100% natural cotton batting
Colorful threads
1 yard 100% cotton bleached muslin
card stock for tags and cards
envelopes
postage to priority shipping of kits to volunteer quilters
Bubble Jet Set solution for HP printers
Freezer paper
HP 564 inkjet cartridges Rotary cutter and/or blades

Operation Kid Comfort is a program of the Armed Services YMCA or Fort Bragg/Pope AFB

www.braggasymca.org 910-436-0500

Comfort! Create! Unite!

2009-02-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

These three words have been the standard Operation Kid Comfort lives by for more than five years now. Our quilts are created to provide comfort, while OpKid workshops provide communities across America an opportunity to unite in support of our service men and women serving overseas. Here's a tale of how one community came to support their own through Operation Kid Comfort.

When my husband, Steve, and I decided to spend six weeks in South Texas this winter, I had no thoughts of making Operation Kid Comfort quilts. That is until Steve told a golf buddy about the program.

A few days later, I met Robert Britton at a community gathering. Showing me a photo of his four granddaughters, he said, “Aren't the beautiful!” He quickly followed the question up with “...and they all need quilts! Their Mom and Dad are both heading out on deployments!”

Well, as I said, the last thing I wanted to do on vacation was make quilts! And then I thought about the Britton kids, spending vacations for the coming year without Mom and Dad nearby. They had some tough times coming, being separated from both parents for so long. How could I refuse? Their Mom and Dad were not refusing to help me and mine.

The next day, I met with a Janet Magee, the sales director of the South Padre Island Resort. I asked if there were any quilters in the area and if I could use their club house for an afternoon.

“Absolutely!”

Together, we set to getting the word out. In response to a post in the community email updates and a notice on the bulletin board, seven volunteers signed on to help make the Britton girls Operation Kid Comfort quilts.

An interesting group of volunteers, one quilter, a few of sewers, a retired army wife (who is well acquainted with Fort Bragg), and others who weren't sure how to help but came to lend a hand in any way possible, we set to work.

I had the photos pre-printed on fabric, and thanks to Janet R., who cut the fabric into strips before the workshop, we were able to put together four quilts in one afternoon.

It didn't take long to fit into an 'assembly line'. Some were pinning, some were pressing, and some were sewing.

And didn't these quilts turn out gorgeous!

Your community can do this too. Operation Kid Comfort is in need of long distance quilters to make quilts for our OpKids. We will send you kits with photos printed on fabric ready to be put together. Please contact operationkidcomfort@gmail.com to learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of the children of our deployed service members.

Please consider serving those who serve America, by supporting Operation Kid Comfort, or any of the ASYMCA programs. Questions and contributions may be directed to:

Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg

208 Thorncliff Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28303.

910-436-0500

Thank you so much to the OpKid volunteers, Alice G., Jeanie M., Patti K., Nancy F., Karen K., Donna S., and Janet R. for your talents and time, the entire community of South Padre Island Resort for your concern for America's Littlest Heroes. And THANK YOU to the Britton family. Your sacrifice and bravery is not forgotten. We are honored to include your children in the OpKid family.

Comfort!

Create!

Unite!

Thank YOU

2008-09-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

There is no way to imagine Operation Kid Comfort without the help of its contributors and volunteers. They are the oil that has kept this engine going for almost five years. Can you believe it --- FIVE YEARS! If only there was a way we could report on them all, but the time it takes away from our OpKids and their quilts would offset the kindness they've bestowed. Today, we will highlight two contributors that represent what the OpKid family is all about. Please know that these kind souls represent the MANY who have made Operation Kid Comfort the award-winning and successful program that it is today.

Mark Hordyszynski, an award-winning fabric designer whose work can be seen throughout the world of fiber has donated more than 50 yards of fabric. Included in the donations several yards of 'solid' colors that will coordinate nicely with much of what we have on hand, and some adorable juvenile prints and dots that we know our OpKids love! Thank you Mark for you generosity. To learn more about Mark and his talents, please visit his website: www.markhordyszynski.com/

Also recognized here is the MOMS Club chapter of Easton Area, Easton, PA. Under the direction of Heather Fredericks, these ladies formed teams with each team making one quilt. Using images already printed on fabric and provided by the ASYMCA workshop on Fort Bragg, along with a generous dose of love and appreciation for our military families, these MOMS constructed four beautiful quilts for our OpKids. I'm sure you join us as we send a great big THANK YOU to the MOMS. To learn more about MOMS, please visit their website: http://www.geocities.com/momsclubofeaston/index.html

We have so many wonderful people in the OpKid family, all who offer their love and prayers to our military and join us in our mission to serve the children of those who serve America. If you would like to be part of this phenomenal team, please contact: mburtonasymca@earthlink.net.

Donations and contributions can be mailed directly to:

Operation Kid Comfort
ASYMCA of Fort Bragg and Pope AFB
208 Thorncliff Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28303

To receive a quilt for a child you know, please contact: operationkidcomfort@gmail.com.

Thank you to all our contributors and volunteers. Without YOU OpKid would not be possible!

Support OpKids With Fabled Fibers

2007-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Operation Kid Comfort is so grateful to have the support of many within the quilting community, including the amazing talents of some special members of Quiltart.com who created the 51 quilts of Fabled Fibers: Art Quilt Enchantments. The collection spans Aladdin to Treasure Island, and includes fairy tales, folk stories, fables, the classics and original stories written by the artists themselves, with many of the works being included in the 2008 Fabled Fibers calendar and greeting cards.

Fabled Fibers: Art Quilt Enchantments is honored to hold it's live premiere at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas, November 1-4, 2007. And, check the Fabled Fibers event s chedule regularly for new venues being added from throughout the country.

Twelve images of the quilts are included in our 2008 Fabled Fibers wall calendar and eight more on the Fabled Fibers greeting cards, with more to be added in the future. Each sale directly supports Operation Kid Comfort and other children's programs of the Armed Services YMCA. And ALL sales include shipping, handling, and sales tax within the continental U.S.

So many of you have been asking what you can do to help Operation Kid Comfort as we continue our support of America's littles heroes, the children of our deployed service men and women. Visit Fabled Fibers: Art Quilt Enchantments, spend some time viewing the quilts and reading the stories, and then, visit our shop to purchase the 2008 Fabled Fibers wall calendar and greeting cards.

There is no better way to support our troops than to care for their families while they are away.

Military Brats Offer Support to OpKids

2007-07-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Who knows better what the children of today's military are going through better than former military brats? The adults who spent their childhood in military communities and missing a parent far away.

Operation Kid Comfort is proud to welcome Military Brats Registry, with a membership of 78,539 adults who are reconnecting with childhood friends made in military communities throughout the world, to the OpKid family. Founder, Marc Curtis, has asked each of his many registry members to draw on their own experience to support Operation Kid Comfort by sending in a $25 donation to Operation Kid Comfort of the ASYMCA of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB. Each $25 donation will cover the cost of one quilt and help with the childcare that allows many of our military spouse volunteers to attend our weekly OpKid workshops.

Please join me in thanking Marc and the many Military Brats who remember our military and our military, and their support. To learn more about Military Brats Registry, please visit www.militarybrats.com. To read the OpKid entry to the Military Brats Blog, please visit www.militarybrat.com/bratblog.cfm.

You can join Military Brats Registry in their support by sending your tax deductible donation to:
Operation Kid Comfort
ASYMCA of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB
208 Thorncliff Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28303

Comfort! Create! Unite!

'OpKid" Storytelling

2007-04-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Operation Kid Comfort has so many stories to tell: stories of our military families who bravely endure the long separations now demanded of them, stories of our phenomenal volunteers who endlessly work to make the lives of military families easier to endure, and stories of this amazing journey of Operation Kid Comfort and how it grew from the dream of just a few into a reality that serves families through military installations across the U.S. and overseas. Read on for a couple of new stories we have to offer you, and be sure to be a part of our stories by posting your comments, as well.

The Operation Kid Comfort segment of The Story with Dick Gordon, which aired through WUNC public radio on April 27, 2007, speaks to the Operation Kid Comfort beginnings and gets to the heart of why we do this: to make the lives of our deployed service men and women, and their families a little bit easier. You can listen to the interview and read about our story of Operation Kid Comfort at the program’s website: the story Take a few moments to check it out and leave a comment about what ‘OpKid’ means to you, your family and your military community.

Our thanks go to Dick Gordon and The Story’s producer, Denise Schneider, for the opportunity to speak about Operation Kid Comfort. Mr. Gordon and I spoke of the almost 5,000 children that have received Operation Kid Comfort quilts and pillows, more than 2,000 through the Armed Services of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB. The items are FREE of charge, and our way of saying THANK YOU to America’s bravest and their little heroes: the children waiting at home for Mommy or Daddy to return.

We welcome your support. For information on how you can become an official sponsor of Operation Kid Comfort please contact operationkidcomfort@gmail.com or call 910/436-0500. Contributions can be mailed to:

Operation Kid Comfort

Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB

208 Thorncliff Drive

Fayetteville, NC 28303

And we have another story for you … or should I say FIFTY stories! Operation Kid Comfort is so pleased to welcome the artists of Fabled Fibers: Art Quilt Enchantments into our family. As members of Quiltart.com, these artists have offered their talents by illustrating their favorite children’s stories in quilt art form. At www.fabledfibers.com/ you can wander through our online galleries to see the amazing story quilts they have created, and read the accompanying tales. From Aladdin to Treasure Island, Fabled Fibers includes fairy tales, folk stories and fables, as well as some lovely original stories by the artists themselves.

Very soon, we will be offering Fabled Fibers products to raise funds for Operation Kid Comfort. From day one, I have searched for a vehicle of ongoing income for the program, and with the help of our Fabled Fibers artists, we have found just that. Check back to see our note cards, calendars and bookmarks that will be available for sale at www.fabledfibers.com.

And speaking of venues…Operation Kid Comfort is so very pleased and honored to announce that, with the sponsorship of Hewlett-Packard, Fabled Fibers: Art Quilt Enchantments will open at the Fall 2007 International Quilt Market and Festival. HP, Quilts, Inc. and The International Quilt Market have been supporters of Operation Kid Comfort since the program’s inception. Fabled Fibers and Operation Kid Comfort are the result of community efforts that include corporate support, individual contributions and the talents of hundreds of volunteers. Please consider being part of this wonderful community. To learn more please email: operationkidcomfort@gmail.com.

OpKid Moments from Around the World

2007-01-27T05:12:00.000-08:00

What a delight it is to see Operation Kid Comfort growing from the community of Fort Bragg across America. It is a success for all of us, the many volunteers and ASYMCA staff who knew that Operation Kid Comfort would create comfort for so many children of deployed service men and women, when we say: Operation Kid Comfort is serving military families from Fort Drum to San Diego Naval Base, and now on to US Military families in Germany. The pictures and information below are shining examples of how caring people can create comfort for children in their communities.

Carmen of the Fort Drum U.S. Army Base, New York ASYMCA writes:
In December at the Fort Drum annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony we presented our first twelve quilts to seven families. Each family was very pleased with their quilts and we received ten more request that night. To date we are serving 34 families and by the end of next week thirty-two quilts will have been received.

Operation Kid Comfort is already making a difference in our Fort Drum community. I spoke with one of the mothers yesterday and she told me that her daughter has kept the quilt close ever since she first received it, and that it was a task to convince her to leave it home from school.

The quilt shop Material Rewards Dansville, NY has been one of the driving forces to make our program possible by completing seventeen quilts in a little more that a week and a half and donating all of the supplies. I am now working with a Quilt guild in Auburn, NY that want to make another 60 quilts.

The greatest reward of all has been the smile on the faces of the families that received the quilts.

When Shannon Friend-Begin of the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s Kleber Library saw an article about Operation Kid Comfort in the Norwich University Alumnae publication The Norwich Record, she made it her mission to further serve the children of military families, and found the resources to establish Operation Kid Comfort for her community. Below are images taken by Christine June, USAGK Reporter, to report this milestone in OpKid history.

Lynn Pride, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern's Kleber Library manager, proves that any space can be used to create an Operation Kid Comfort quilt as she finishes up the last touches on an Operation Kid Comfort quilt Jan. 5 for a deployed Soldier’s daughter at the garrison’s library on Kleber Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Regina Tiedemann, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern Child and Youth Services Health specialist, congratulates her daughter, Shannon, for being the first child in Europe to receive an Operation Kid Comfort quilt Jan. 8 at the garrison’s library on Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

Shannon Tiedemann, explains to Lynn Pride, the nine photos on the Operation Kid Comfort quilt Jan. 8 at the garrison’s library on Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Pride worked on the quilt for more than 12 hours, and Shannon is the first child in Europe to receive an Operation Kid Comfort quilt.

A Typical OpKid Reaction

2006-11-05T03:29:00.000-08:00

We talk a lot about the positive effects Operation Kid Comfort quilts and pillows have on children of America's deployed service men and women. And, we receive many notes from grateful parents that we share with our volunteers and contributors. Below is a typical response to OpKid quilts. It always amazes us...every child has a similar reaction. As you read Erin's words, look at the joy in her daughter Emma's face, as she holds her Daddy close in an Operation Kid Comfort quilt.

"I just wanted to thank you for the quilt you made for my two-year-old daughter, Emma. She absolutely loves it. She calls it her "daddy blanket" and brings it everywhere. Sometimes, I'll hear her talking to it, telling her Daddy things about her day. We are on the very near end of a long deployment (he's only been gone for a month and will do a year tour) and I know this will be a wonderful way for her to feel comforted and connected to her Daddy. I have attached a picture of her and her daddy quilt. Thank you again for this amazing service that you provide for the families left behind."

Erin

Because Operation Kid Comfort is a free program, we rely heavily on our contributors and volunteers who understand there is no better way to support our troops than to care for their families while they are away. To join the efforts of Operation Kid Comfort please email: operationkidcomfort@gmail.com or call: 910-436-0500.

OpKid News: Norwich Record and Quilt-A-Thon 2006

2006-08-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you Norwich Record, the alumni publication of Norwich University, for kindly spreading the word of Operation Kid Comfort in your current Summer 2006 issue. We are more than pleased with the story, and expect the exposure can only enhance our work here at Fort Bragg, where many Norwich graduates now make their home, as well at other installations now offering the Operation Kid Comfort program.

To read the article, please see page 16 at http://www.norwich.edu/about/record/2006Summer.pdf.
Writer Cherryl Jensen wrote some wonderful words about Operation Kid Comfort, and our own resident photographer, Peg Mikol, took a great photo.

If you know a publication that would be interested in including the Operation Kid Comfort story, please don't hesitate to let us know. We love to talk about our fabulous volunteers, sponsors and, of course, our kids.

And it's almost time for the Operation Kid Comfort Third Annual QUILT-A-THON. Can you believe its been three years!

On Make-A-Difference Day, October 28, 2006, Operation Kid Comfort will celebrate its third anniversary with a day of quilting and community. We spend the scanning, editing, printing, sewing and quilting. Add in some good food and music and you've got a real good time!

If you've attended any of our previous quilt-a-thons, or any of our workshops, then you know how much fun we have. We look forward to having you join us again, and bring a friend. If you haven't participated in the past, please consider this our official invitation join us in celebrating the marvelous work of our Operation Kid Comfort volunteers. To register, please call contact Tawnya Benn at 910-436-0500 or tbennasymca@earthlink.net .

See you there,
Ann Flaherty
ASYMCA Volunteer and Proud Military Mom

Since Day One . . .

2006-07-19T03:45:00.000-07:00

Operation Kid Comfort supporters have shown their unending appreciation of our military families. Big national companies and small local businesses alike have contributed to Operation Kid Comfort letting our service men and women know that they are not forgotten, no matter where they are serving far from home.

Long Creek Mills is one such company. Based in Gastonia, NC, the folks of Long Creek make sure we have plenty of thread to stitch OpKid quilts and pillows.

In early July, I had the opportunity to stop in and see our friends at Long Creek Mills. Pete and Alice understand why Operation Kid Comfort is so important. They spent many years in the Fort Bragg area, while Pete was based here during the Viet Nam war. They know full well what our military families face while a loved one is overseas for long tours.

And Charlie, Long Creek Mill's owner, is honored to help out Operation Kid Comfort. Like us, he understands there is no better way to support our troops than to care for their families while they are away.

Whenever we make a call, our requests are not only filled, but lots of extras are always included in the package. We always try to open the boxes with volunteers around so we can oohh and ahhh together over the colorful threads, especially the variegated.

Please take a moment to look at the products Long Creek Mills has to offer. If you are a quilter or create with a machine embroidery machine, then take a look at Long Creek Mills. The quality and variety of threads cannot be beat.

And let folks at Long Creek Mills know how much you appreciate their generosity towards Operation Kid Comfort and America's military families.

Farewell to a Dedicated Volunteer

2006-06-04T06:19:00.000-07:00

Military life is filled with change. Anyone who is even remotely associated with the Armed Forces understands this. Relocation, reassignment, detachment, reattachment, deploy, redeploy, all words associated with leaving. As with all things military, at Operation Kid Comfort we have our share of farewells. We miss our dear friends and volunteers, and wish them all well in their new surroundings.

Now we say goodbye to Jennifer Hale. If you have seen an Operation Kid Comfort quilt or pillow constructed over the last year and a half, then there is a good chance you have seen Jennifer's work. A dedicated volunteer, Jennifer came to us as an experienced quilter, but wanted to learn the process of photo-transfer, the method we use to print images on fabric.

Some of us were able to gather for a farewell luncheon to say goodbye to Jennifer at Belmont Village. From left to right, back row: Katie and Kim Newton, Peg Mikol, Melanie Spangler, and Deborah Hall. Front row: Ann Flaherty, Jennifer Hale and Lynne Grates.

While it will be hard to replace Jennifer at Operation Kid Comfort, I know it is not impossible. Below are some questions I posed to Jennifer, and her thoughts on why Operation Kid Comfort and volunteering are so important. After reading her comments, I think you will be inspired to follow in Jennifer's footsteps. If you are interested in volunteering for or contributing to any aspect of Operation Kid Comfort, please email operationkidcomfort@gmail.com or call 910-436-0500.

Please join us in wishing Jennifer and her family well, as they move on to new adventures. You can leave your comments here and I will be happy to forward them on to Jennifer.

Why do you volunteer at Operation Kid Comfort?
When I moved back to Fayetteville, my husband went remote to Kuwait and my last two children went off to college. I had extra time on my hands. I actually went to the FSC at Pope to see where I might be able to volunteer in the area. When I heard about Operation Kid Comfort I knew that was the place for me.

I love to make quilts, especially to give away. I had been involved at the FSC at Hurlburt Field, FL making lap quilts to give to children in the local hospice grief program. When I heard about OpKid, it was a perfect fit. After raising 3 daughters in the military lifestyle, what could be closer to my heart than those children who experience the same separations from their parent/parents that my girls did (and still do.)

What do you find as the most rewarding aspect of the tasks you perform for Operation Kid Comfort?
When I started volunteering, the first thing I learned to do was to scan, crop, edit, and print the pictures. Being computer illiterate, I thought I was going to be more trouble than help to the group. But I picked it up rather quickly (the repetition helped me a lot.)

The need was so great in that one area that I was glad to remain on task. The best part is that I get to see and study these precious pictures. We have some amazing photos come through Operation Kid Comfort and I am the first to see them up close. It really touches your heart to see these children with their parent and to know that not only is the parent making a huge sacrifice for this country, but so is this young child. These quilts are one way not only encourage the child, but thank him or her for their service to our country.

Why do you feel Operation Kid Comfort has been a success at Fort Bragg?
First, I truly believe that God has blessed the selfless dedication these people have to making quilt and pillows for the children of our military. Second, the constant deployment cycle gives us many opportunities to touch the lives of not only the children, but their parents as well. To let them know that there is someone else out there that understands how difficult the separation can be and how important it is to maintain the long distance relationship between the child and the deployed parent. And lastly, we have some very generous supporters, outside the military community, who donate many of our supplies including fabric, thread, and ink (just to name a few.) Without their help, this project would be difficult to maintain for any great length of time.

Mark Your Calendar For June 3RD!

2006-05-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Operation Kid Comfort SEW DAY & Fabric Sale

We have fabric for sale! Yards and Yards of fabric!

Fabrics for the home and hobbies! Stop by and get a great deal.

Date: Saturday, June 3, 2006

Time: 9am to 2pm

Where: Armed Services YMCA

Bldg 2-2411 Woodruff Ave

Fort Bragg

(Next to the Thrift Shop)

At Operation Kid Comfort, we create photo-transfer comfort quilts and pillows for children of deployed
service men and women for FREE! If you would like to construct a quilt or pillow for your child, or volunteer to make one for another child, please join us for our Sewing Day.

Children 5 and under are eligible for a quilt
Children 6 and older are eligible for a pillow.
Quilts require 9 photos. Pillows require 1 photo.
Photos should contain the deploying service member.
Please bring your photos to the Armed Services YMCA building by Wednesday, May 31st, in order to have them printed onto fabric before the Sew Day.
We have all of the supplies you will need to complete your project.

Groups are welcome. Please call 910-436-0500 with any questions.

American Quilter Magazine

2006-04-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

Please be sure to pick up a copy of American Quilter Magazine Summer 2006 issue and read the feature article "A Quilter's Promise". Editor Christine Brown was so kind to include this feature article in the American Quilter Society publication.

For all of our new OpKid quilters, American Quilter Magazine is a wonderful resource for you to learn and grow in your quilting adventures. And for all of you experienced quilters, you will love all the tips, tricks and information this publication has to offer.

Enjoy!

OpKid Beginnings

2005-09-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

So many people ask me where Operation Kid Comfort came from, and the simple answer is:

“from love, compassion and patriotism.”

My son-in-law, Mike, was deployed to Iraq at the onset of the war. His son, eighteen-month-old Christian, had no understanding why his Daddy was not coming home from work each evening. Christian had tantrums, became withdrawn, and hoarded photos of Mike in his room. My heart broke, seeing how much my little grandson missed his beloved Daddy.

As a quilt artist, I’ve used photography in my quilts, and made Christian a quilt so he could hold his Daddy close. It worked…and he dragged that quilt everywhere. Christian loved showing the images of him and Daddy at the beach, playing on the floor, at the park, and with Mommy too.

Christian’s little friend, Mikey, also needed a quilt. Mikey’s Dad was serving with my son-in-law, and his mother was in Afghanistan. It worked for Mikey too. His grandmother wrote:

"Thank you so much for making a quilt for our grandson Michael. When his father left for Iraq, Michael was lost, but one month later his Mom left for Afghanistan - he was devastated...One night, I heard him talking upstairs in his bed. I listened at the door to a conversation between this precious 2 1/2 year old and his Mommy's and Daddy's pictures on the quilt...I know having this wonderful quilt has eased the separation and will make the reunion of this family so much better."

I made one for another child…and another…and a few kids later, the reality of how important these photo-transfer quilts are to the children of deployed soldiers, and to the parents who now felt relief that they would not be forgotten by their little ones at home. Many children could benefit from a photo-transfer quilt, but I could not do this alone.

The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB loved the idea and welcomed the opportunity to help me found Operation Kid Comfort. The ASYMCA staff, Lynne Grates, Peggy Mikol, Deborah Graybeal, Deborah Hall and Melanie Spangler have all worked so hard to make Operation Kid Comfort a reality, while maintaining the many other programs that the 'Y' offers to the Fort Bragg and Pope AFB community.

As a non-profit with more than 150 years experience assisting America’s military and their families, I knew the ASYMCA as an organization that could see my plan to Comfort! Create! and Unite! to the end. Our mission: to provide FREE photo-transfer quilts and pillows to children of America's deployed service men and women, and to offer an opportunity for America to unite in support of military families.

A chance meeting with Dr. Kathleen Gruben at a weekend car rally, led me to her Georgia Southern advertising students. During the Fall 2003 semester, Georgia Southern University’s advertising class took on Operation Kid Comfort as their project. These remarkable young minds created marketing strategies and advertising campaigns; they developed plans for fundraising, and did all of this according to geographic region. Bases across the country now have a guide for establishing Operation Kid Comfort specific to their region. So much of our marketing process is derived from their exceptional talents.

The support Operation Kid Comfort has received has been nothing short of phenominal. In Fall, 2003, Karey Bresenhan, Quilts, Inc. President, the International Quilt Market and all its vendors pitched in and contributed more than $16,000 of fabric, batting, thread, and quilting necessities to get us started.

Local cleaners and laundries washed and pressed all the fabric.

Home Depot of Fayetteville, NC donated cabinets to store it in.

Anthony Battista of HP's Army Print Division found two printer/scanners for us. Anthony continues to support us with regular donations of ink to keep those photos printed.

Through the compassion and patriotism of so many other contributors and volunteers, and under the direction of the Armed Services YMCA, Operation Kid Comfort was formed.

In May, 2004, Operation Kid Comfort was awarded the Raytheon's Best New Program of the Year at a congressional luncheon on Capital Hill. Also that month, CNN American Morning highlighted the success of Operation Kid Comfort in their weekly Extra Effort Series.

Since then, Operation Kid Comfort has been the subject of many news and magazine articles: locally, nationally, and even internationally, from the Fayetteville Observer to the Army Times to Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. We have enjoyed the attention of publications and programming from all corners of America.

Just since January, 2005, more than eighty volunteers have donated more than 2,000 hours to make Operation Kid Comfort quilts and pillows. As of June, 2005 we had served more than 850 children through the Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB, and expect that number to multiply by years end.

It was January 2002 when I made that first quilt for my grandson Christian. Now his Daddy prepares to leave again, and I will make a quilt for his little brother, Joshua, who will be eighteen months old when they are separated. I don't relish the need of another quilt for another grandson, but I am glad to know all of us at Operation Kid Comfort (volunteers, ASYMCA staff, and contributors) are choosing to Make A Difference for so many military families.

I'll make Joshua's quilt on October 22nd, Make A Difference Day 2005 and Operation Kid Comfort's second anniversary. On that day we will celebrate our success with our second annual Operation Kid Comfort Quilt-A-Thon (a great idea from our Georgia Southern students that proved so successful last year). We'll spend the day printing, and cutting, and sewing, and quilting and most of all...HAVING FUN as we celebrate this very important anniversary while MAKING A DIFFERENCE for the Fort Bragg community. Think about joining us...last year's event proved enjoyable, memorable and productive.

This is just one story…and there are many other OpKid stories to tell. If you have an OpKid story to share, whether it be how your child received his or her quilt, or a touching moment in an OpKid workshop, or just a funny anecdote that relates to your Operation Kid Comfort experience, please use the comment link here (the little envelope icon). And of course, we always welcome your words of support. We all look forward to hearing from you and reading about your instances of

"love, compassion and patriotism".

And please don't hesitate to contact us via email at operationkidcomfort@gmail.com.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Ann Flaherty
ASYMCA Volunteer and Proud Military Mom

Exceptional Young Volunteers

2005-08-18T04:21:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about some of our young volunteers that Operation Kid Comfort is privileged to have on board.

Haven (age 12) and Avia Kinard (age 10) (Lyric’s darling daughters) donated the proceeds of a Fourth of July concert to Operation Kid Comfort. They took it upon themselves to plan and hold the neighborhood concert with Haven on the violin and Avia on the flute and raised SEVENTY-FIVE dollars to help us provide free quilts and pillows to children of deployed service men and women.

Haven writes:
"I had plenty of fun performing and I am glad to know it was for such a good cause. I feel really sorry for all the children who's parents are at war and it's good to know that someone is helping and taking care of them. I know if my parents went to war I would nearly die of worry. Knowing that I am helping children like that makes me feel great."

You can view photos of the concert at: http://www.lyrickinard.com/silly_family.html

Emily Newton, age 12, has made three Operation Kid Comfort quilts and a pillow cover this summer, and all for the same family! How great is that! Check out this picture of Emily with two recipients of her wonderful quilts!

Katie Newton (below) wanted to do a volunteer project over the summer. Filling a bag with our patriotic fabric scraps, she took them home and created a 40” square quilted wall hanging for an Operation Kid Comfort raffle as a fundraiser. Isn’t it beautiful! This is her first quilt other than Opertion Kid Comfort quilts!

If you would like to purchase raffle tickets for the quilt, at $1.00 each, please send a check payable to Armed Services YMCA ( noting the Operation Kid Comfort Raffle) to:

Operation Kid Comfort
Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg/Pope AFB
208 Thorncliff Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28303

Please let us know if you wish us to return the ticket stubs to you (a self addressed, stamped envelope would be very helpful), or if we can email you the ticket numbers. The drawing will be on Make A Difference Day, October 22, 2005. You need not be present; we will contact you if you win.

And of course…if you would like to help Katie sell tickets…please let us know, we’ll be happy to send you a packet! You can contact us at: 910/436-0500 or operationkidcomfort@gmail.com.

Please join me in tremendous praise for these young patriotic volunteers. They are amazing young people who deserve a lot of credit for their unselfish efforts.

All together now… a round of applause for Haven, Avia, Katie, Emily and all our fantastic volunteers…or as we are fond of shouting here at Fort Bragg….Hooah!

And volunteers...please write in and tell us why you like to volunteer at Operation Kid Comfort? I'm sure you have some valuable advice and heartwarming tales of your OpKid workshop experience. We'd love to hear from you.

If you haven't volunteered yet...come on by any Wednesday or Thursday from nine to two, and we'll show you how we make our quilts.

See you soon,
Ann Flaherty
ASYMCA Volunteer and Proud Military Mom

2005-08-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to OPERATION KID COMFORT. Almost two years old, we have served more than 850 children of deployed service men and women from Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina.

More than 45 volunteers create photo-transfer quilts and pillows for America's littlest heroes. Contributions, grants, and donated materials and services allow us to provide Operation Kid Comfort tools free of charge. This is our way of saying "Thank you" to all of America's military.

Thank you...Thank you...Thank you!

Ann Flaherty
Operation Kid Comfort Founder, ASYMCA Volunteer and Proud Military Mom

There's no better way to support America's military, than to care for their families while they are away.