Garden Prairie United Church of Christ donates to Sgt. P’s Lapghans for Veterans

By Kathryn Menue

EDITOR

On Friday, Feb. 24, Sgt. P’s Lapghans for Veterans gathered at VFW Post 1461 at 10 a.m. for their monthly meeting and to craft more lapghans to be donated.  The 20 members at the meeting received an extra spark of inspiration for their efforts when Garden Prairie United Church of Christ (UCC) came to the meeting with a donation of $300.

“We of Garden Prairie United Church of Christ appreciate all the work you do for the veterans, so we would like to give you a check for $300,” Nita Vangeisen, of Garden Prairie UCC, said.

Julie Pilgrim, a two-year member of Sgt. P’s and a member of Garden Prairie UCC, got the church involved with the organization.

Ever since, Garden Prairie UCC has helped Sgt. P’s Lapghans collect yarn and other materials, along with now a monetary donation that will be used toward shipping lapghans to veterans overseas in the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany.

“We very much support this group,” Vangeisen said. “We try to help where we can since it’s so costly to mail overseas.”

Giving back to the community is a part of Garden Prairie United Church of Christ’s mission. They are a Christian-based church “committed to the spiritual needs of the community and world in service and in love.”

Charlotte Kennedy, president and founder of Sgt. P’s Lapghans for Veterans, expressed gratitude toward Garden Prairie UCC on behalf of the entire organization.

“Thank you so much. This is going to be put to good use,” Kennedy said. “This will help us send our lapghans made with love to veterans.”

All of this began because of Kennedy’s father, WWII Army veteran Sgt. Walter Petroske. Kennedy was inspired by her father’s service to this country and wanted to honor other men and women who have given so much for the United State’s freedom.

So, she came up with the idea of making wheel-chair friendly afghans that are 36×48 inches with no fringe or adornments.

Since the organization’s inception in 2014, Sgt. P’s has gained over 60 members, consisting of 53 regulars and over 10 people who contribute on and off. Men and women donate afghans from Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Alabama.

“We’ve grown leaps and bounds,” Kennedy said. “We do this because we love our country.”

In the almost three years of the organization’s existence, Sgt. P’s Lapghans for Veterans has given away 1,374 lapghans.

“Some [veterans] have even told us this [lapghan] means more than their service medals,” Kennedy said.

Sgt. P’s is always looking for more help in continuing their organization’s goals of wrapping “veterans in comfort and warmth with lapghans made out of love and gratitude for their sacrifices and service.”

Anyone is welcome to join Sgt. P’s. Even if someone doesn’t know how to knit or crochet, Sgt. P’s members will teach willing volunteers for free.

Sgt. P’s Lapghans also accepts donations of yarn and supplies, which can be dropped off at VFW Post 1461, located at 1310 W. Lincoln Ave. in Belvidere, during business hours.

Contributors can give monetary donations online or can sign up for the second annual Stars and Stripes 5K Fun Run/3K Walk on Saturday, July 29 at the Belvidere Park Kiddieland Shelter, at 1006 W. Lincoln Ave. in Belvidere. Online donations and signups can be completed at sgtpslapghans.org.

For more information on Garden Prairie United Church of Christ, find them on Facebook, call (815) 597-3457, or email [email protected]. The church is located at 10990 U.S. Highway 20 in Garden Prairie.