34 Quilts of Valor presented to veterans in Streator

2 ceremonies conducted at Holy Trinity Church Fellowship Hall

(Front from left) Ralph Sterrett, Clyde Johnson,Jill (John) Newbold, Frank Matsko, Jim Hoskins, Ronald Tardio, Jr, Brian Trost, Don Redd, Ronald Tardio, Sr., (back from left) Mack McKanna, George Krasnican, Jim Olmsted, Harold Marshall, John Kudla, Bridget Kelly, Lee McCumsey, Dennis Hatzer and Bryan Phelan receive Quilts of Valor on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at Holy Trinity Church Fellowship in Streator. (Photo provided by Jan Fitzsimmons)

November 17, 2023 at 2:54 am CST

Thirty four Quilts of Valor were presented to veterans Sunday at two ceremonies at Holy Trinity Church Fellowship Hall in Streator.

These quilts are made and distributed by local volunteers.

The national Quilts of Valor organization was founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, who had a dream where a soldier who was distressed was comforted by a quilt. From there, she set up efforts to enlist volunteers to create quilts. The effort grew nationally and to date more than 362,000 quilts have been given to veterans.

(Front from left) Mike Dunlap, Mike Blakemore, Dave Smith, Ron Austin, Charlotte Seeger, Pat Petersen, Mike McCauley, Ken Morlan, (back, from left) Larry McCann, Jen McMullen, Colin Betken, Jim Meiners, Dan Petersen, Rick Topolski, Tom Hallam and Robert Danko receive Quilts of Valor on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, at Holy Trinity Church Fellowship in Streator. (Photo provided by Jan Fitzsimmons)