Members of the Harrison County Community Educational Outreach Service organization used this time of social distancing to rally around the red, white, and blue, as they participated in a project aimed at helping veterans stay a little warmer this winter.

 

They handcrafted nearly $1,400 worth of knitted caps, scarves, lap quilts, and sleeping mats that were donated to the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Adminstration Medical Center in Clarksburg. The countywide effort was sparked by the “Hero Scarf” project one member learned about on Facebook.

 

“The response was incredible,” said Anmoore CEOS member Theresa Noble, who spearheaded the project with Anmoore club president Sue Wolfkill. “There were ladies who started making these in the spring, and they made dozens. We thought this would be a great CEOS project, and everybody came on board.”

 

Wolfkill and Noble were to lead a CEOS workshop during the summer, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the group effort. But several members opted to take on the project individually, and Wolfkill called those efforts “amazing and heart-warming.”

 

The items were designed to revolve around patriotic colors, and the Stonewood CEOS club donated much of the yarn that was used in the knitting and crocheting of the caps and scarves. Elwanda Dennison, the president of the Quiet Dell CEOS club, created several sleeping mats from recycled plastic shopping bags. Between 700 and 900 bags are needed to create each 3 foot by 5 foot mat.

 

“I am again amazed at the thoughtfulness of our CEOS club members,” said WVU Family & Community Development Agent Ric Rodriguez. “The amount of time dedicated to making other people’s lives better during this holiday season is a testament that our club members embody our collect to always be generous.”

 

For those in the public who wish to take part in the project, they can learn more about it by going to the Hero Scarf Facebook page. They would then need to make arrangements with the VA’s Voluntary Services office to drop off the donated items.

 

For those wishing to join one of the 17 Harrison County CEOS clubs, they can call the West Virginia University Extension Office at 304-624-8650 for further information. Programs and activities offered by the WVU Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political beliefs, national origin, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. When registering for programs, please designate special access or dietary needs three weeks in advance. The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is implied.

 

Editor's Note: Submitted photo: WVU Extension Agent Ric Rodriguez (left), Anmoore CEOS club president Sue Wolfkill, and Anmoore CEOS member Theresa Noble (right) show off some of the nearly $1,400 of hand-crafted items made by members of the Harrison County Community Educational Outreach Service organization that were donated to the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center.