Charlene Potterbaum is pictured at right with a quilt she is making to donate to wounded veterans. (Photo by Jacob Shaffer)

Charlene Potterbaum of Bristol is seeking volunteers to help provide what she calls “thank-you quilts” to wounded combat veterans. The program, “Quilts for Our Wounded,” is one of the projects of a group called Citizens Support for America’s Military. (See more details on its website: citizensam.org.)

Charlene learned about this effort in an unusual way. While shopping in Tennessee, she witnessed the unlikely scene of a “cowboy” purchasing large quantities of various colorful fabrics. She learned that he was going to send the materials to a group of women in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for the purpose of making quilts for wounded military veterans.

After contacting the Murfreesboro group about the details, Charlene decided to get involved in this worthwhile project. She has recruited several local volunteers, and has set up a fund for those who want to donate money to the cause. She figures that the materials could cost up to $50 for each quilt.

The quilts are necessary because wounded military personnel are flown in unheated cargo planes to Germany or the United States. The quilts, designed to cover a stretcher or gurney, should be sized 4 feet by 6 feet, 6 inches. They should be made of all cotton materials, of colorful fabrics (such as red/white/blue), and with no cartoon characters. The wounded veterans keep the quilts as mementos of their service, so new ones are always needed.

Charlene relates that Hobby Lobby in Concord Mall has agreed to provide all fabrics for this purpose at a 30% discount. Buyers are requested to ask for the manager, if they see desired materials that are not so marked.
Those who would like to get involved can call Charlene at 622-0046. Her plan is to gather a number of quilts, either made individually or in groups, and send them to the project’s headquarters in Peoria, Illinois.
A fund has been set up at KeyBank in Bristol for those who would like to contribute money for materials. Checks should be made out to “Russell Products” with a memo noting “Quilts for Our Wounded,” and sent to Russell Products, 17989 Commerce Drive, Bristol, 46507. Tom Russell will then deposit the checks in the KeyBank account.

Charlene is willing to speak to service groups and organizations about this program, to show them a sample quilt, and answer questions about making them. She hopes others will share her satisfaction in providing a warm, colorful, and cheerful “thank you” to those who have made great sacrifices in preserving freedom for all of us here at home.