Producing over 1,000 quilts per year for the children of deployed servicemembers, the Armed Services YMCA’s Operation Kid Comfort gets a boost from Brother International Corporation.

Brother donated seven versatile sewing machines to the organization in order to maintain its program of hand-crafting unique quilts and pillows for the children of deployed military service men and women in all branches of the military, all over the world.

“We are very proud to support our military service men and women with this donation,” says Dean F. Shulman, Senior Vice President of Brother International Corporation and head of the company’s home appliance and industrial product divisions. “By donating our sewing machines, we ensure that this very important program will continue to provide comfort to the children of our military heroes while they are deployed. In addition, our donation will allow spouses to learn a vital new skill in how to piece and quilt these unique keepsakes as well as sew clothing, curtains, and other items.”

The distinctive 40 x 40-inch and 42 x 42-inch quilts and pillows are created using eight pictures of the deployed parent with their child. Family photos are printed onto a specially-treated fabric and sewn into the quilt or pillow. A quilt takes an average of six hours to make and a pillow takes about two and a half hours, which doesn’t include the time it takes to treat the fabric and transfer the photos.

Each child receives a quilt/pillow depending on age: children six and under receive a quilt, seven and older receive a pillow. Volunteers have created nearly 6,000 quilts since the program started in 2004, averaging about 1,000 quilts each year. ASYMCA and YMCA affiliates that currently offer the Operation Kid Comfort program include Camp Pendleton, Fort Bragg, Fort Drum, Fort Hood, Fort Riley, Honolulu, Alaska, and San Diego.

“We are grateful to Brother for its generous donation of sewing machines, fabric, and thread,” says Giselle Schneider, Operation Kid Comfort program coordinator for the Armed Services YMCA National Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. “These quilts bring great comfort to the children throughout their separation from their deployed parent. While learning to piece and quilt an Operation Kid Comfort quilt or pillow, the military spouses will learn a vital skill while they serve other military families. The skills acquired will transfer to their daily lives.”

The Operation Kid Comfort program began in early 2003 when Ann Flaherty faced the prospect of three members of her family being deployed overseas. Her daughter was in North Korea, and both her son and son-in-law were heading to Iraq. To make things worse, her 18-month old grandson, Christian, was throwing tantrums over his father’s absence, even taking photos of his father and hiding them under his crib.

Using her skills as a quilt artist, Flaherty made her grandson a quilt with pictures of his dad. Then she made one for a friend of Christian’s whose parents were serving overseas. Since then, the need has continued and evolved into Operation Kid Comfort. Since 2003, over 18,000 quilts and pillows have been completed.