On Memorial Day, we honor those who died while serving our country. One local woman is doing exactly that with some thread and a sewing machine, all while overcoming health issues of her own.
In the past year, Leah Spencer, who is a Sinton resident, sewed 20 quilts. Over the weekend, she gave those handmade treasures to local veterans.
“I do it to give back to my community,” Spencer said.
The quilts are one-of-a-kind, stitched out of quality fabric, and each one has the veteran’s name on it.
But to give back to these veterans, Spencer joined a national group called Quilts of Valor. It’s a group of people who come together to sew quilts to honor those who served our country.
It was Spencer’s health issues, which have left her homebound, that led her to join that group.
“I cannot drink water, I’m allergic to heat, like the sun, blow dryer, vibrations, the cold, temperature changes, chemical smells,” said Spencer.
Two years ago, she needed surgery, and it was a veteran who helped her raise money for that procedure.
“I needed a way to give back and thank him, so I sewed him a quilt,” said Spencer. “And I was thinking, how am I going to award this to him?”
Spencer held a special ceremony in Sinton over the weekend to award those quilts to 20 veterans. Some of those veterans were nominated by the community. The others she knew personally, including the veteran who helped her two years ago.
Now, Spencer says she’ll continue to sew these quilts to remember those who have fought for our freedom.
“It’s a time to pause and remember,” said Spencer. “Remembering those who didn’t make it back.”
Spencer oversees the South Texas chapter of Quilts of Valor. She mentioned she is in need of help and donations, like red, white, and blue fabric, to sew more quilts for our local veterans. For more information on how you can help, she can be reached at (210) 853-8697, emailed at leahscpencer@yahoo.com or visit their Facebook page at the link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/qovsouthtexas
