‘Kid Comfort’ brings quilts to children of the deployed

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Sheila deVera
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  "This is my daddy blanket. I give my blanket a hug when I miss him," said 5-year-old Laela Shoemaker.

Nothing is more special than the comfort of a warm embrace from your parents.
The feeling of being protected, guarded and loved is what every child wants to hold on to.
However, for military children, long deployments are often hard and frequently disconnect them from the warm embrace they long for.

In response, the Armed Services YMCA offers a program called "Operation Kid Comfort." The service is to create custom-made quilts for children of deployed military personnel who experience grief from missing their mom or dad.

It is designed to address the emotional stress that children of military personnel suffer during a parent's absence from home, providing free quilts for children ages six and under and pillows for children ages seven and older.

Lonna Shoemaker used the Operation Kid Comfort program for her two daughters while their father was deployed and is now a local quilt volunteer for the JBER ASYMCA.

"My children were excited when they received their blankets. We couldn't leave the house without them," Shoemaker said. "It's something that they will cherish for a very long time."

Kaelie, Shoemaker's youngest daughter, is sometimes called "Linus" - after the character from "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz - because she carries her blanket around to places such as bouncy houses, stores, and the the town of North Pole to name a few.
"I take it everywhere I go," Kaelie said.

"Operation Kid Comfort was to help children get through the deployment and have a picture of their parents to look at while their families is gone," said program coordinator Jessica McLaughlin. "We not only serve here in Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, but we also extend it to Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska."

"There is a bit of a wait for people requesting quilts, especially with the upcoming deployment," McLaughlin said.

"So far, we have 25 volunteers who take time out of their lives to help out other families - especially military children," she said.

Their most distant volunteer is over 5,000 miles away residing in Virginia, said McLaughlin, whose son-in-law is a Soldier stationed at JBER.

Another quilter, Bert Mechem, who has been quilting for JBER for about two years, has done about 80 quilts for families.

Mechem lives in Ohio and was able to finish seven quilts and pillow cases quickly. She told the JBER ASYMCA that she is willing to do more.

"I very much enjoy quilting and they can send me as many as requests as they want -- five, 10, or more," said Mechem. "It allows me to do something for our troops and I am thankful for them letting me help out."

Operation Kid Comfort was created at Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, N.C., in 2004; however, the ASYMCA of Alaska started in 2006 and has made an estimated 800 quilts since the program began.

"We just wish we could find more volunteers to assist us," said Cliff Penn, program director.

"The reaction is heartwarming and it will help keep the bond from child to parent, when their parents are gone for so long," Penn said. "It's fulfilling to see the expression on the children's faces when they receive the quilts."

Family members can request a quilt if the service member is going to be gone for a minimum of three months. This includes deployments and short tours.

To request a quilt, email kid.comfort@akasymca.org or by contacting the main ASYMCA office at 552-9622. Local quilters can also email or contact ASYMCA to inquire about volunteering for Operation Kid Comfort.