Women Veterans Receive Baby Blankets
October 3, 2014
Originally posted in the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center newsletter
Rita Medlin, Women Veterans Program Manager, wanted to do something special for the female Veterans who are receiving maternity care through non-VA care providers. She reached out at a Veterans Service Organization meeting and the Soldiers’ Angels organization made contact and were asked if they could do something to make our VA mothers feel recognized and special. Soliders’ Angels was delighted to make crocheted baby blankets for our new babies born through this VA program. Sarah Ann Behtz, Soldiers’ Angels program volunteer, is shown giving new blankets to Rita Medlin, Women Veterans Program Manager.
Immediately following September 11th, many Americans had a strong desire to show their support to the brave men and women deployed defending our country in combat. They just did not know how. Soldiers’ Angels was created as an opportunity for them to provide that support with care packages, hand-sewn blankets and pillowcases, letters, cards and home-baked goods. In just 11 years, Soldiers’ Angels has supported over 600,000 deployed men and women in combat. Over the last 11 years, the organization has expanded to include 12 teams providing some of the same items, but also including support for the families of the fallen, caregivers of wounded warriors and families of the deployed service members. This organization has been focusing on helping several programs at our Mountain Home VA Medical Center.
We are so happy to have assisted Rita with handmade baby blankets and other crocheted items!
