The American Red Cross and Gate City Bank have extended their fifth annual Quilts for Veterans drive through November, giving community members more time to donate new, unused quilts and new fleece blankets for veterans. Donations are being accepted at Gate City Bank locations across North Dakota and central Minnesota.
One veteran who knows what these gifts can mean is Jerry Walker of Dilworth, Minnesota. A Vietnam veteran and longtime Red Cross volunteer, Walker spent years helping give handmade quilts to fellow veterans. Last December, Red Cross staff surprised him with a quilt chosen especially for him. Until then, he had never received one himself.
“Jerry is usually the one making sure someone else feels cared for,” said Kimberly Vosseteig, executive director of the American Red Cross serving Eastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota. “When our team surprised him with a quilt, he was overwhelmed by its beauty and especially that someone had taken the time to choose it just for him. It was our chance to thank Jerry, too. That’s what makes these gifts so personal.”
Walker grew up in Galena, Missouri, and joined the U.S. Army at 19. While serving in Da Nang, Vietnam, he operated heavy equipment and moved military cargo. He started volunteering with the Red Cross in Missouri in 1979 and continued his service after moving to Dilworth in 1986.
Jerry’s volunteer work with the Red Cross has included helping people after fires, floods and other disasters, as well as distributing quilts to veterans. A 2019 Red Cross profile described a bright red vest covered with pins from his disaster relief assignments. “I really just like helping. I think it’s my calling,” he said. Just before Thanksgiving in 2023, he helped families displaced by a West Fargo condominium fire.
Now, as Veterans Day approaches, the Red Cross and Gate City Bank are encouraging the community to help more veterans experience that same kindness. Their fifth annual Quilts for Veterans drive has been extended through November, with donations accepted at Gate City Bank locations across North Dakota and central Minnesota.
“Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can give is something you’ve made with care,” said Karin Luchsinger, senior vice president of Gate City Bank Checking and Customer Engagement. “If there’s a new, unused quilt waiting in a closet or sewing room, we’d love to help get it into a veteran’s hands. It’s a simple way our communities can say thank you.”
Donations should:
• Be new or made with new materials and never used.
• Preferably measure approximately 60 by 80 inches.
• Be sturdy enough for industrial washing and sterilization.
• Have no loose yarn or strings that could catch on medical equipment.
People can drop off donations at Gate City Bank locations through November. Find participating locations and check hours, especially around Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, at GateCity.Bank/Locations.
When the partnership began in 2022, organizers hoped to collect 150 quilts; more than 200 were donated. Hundreds of quilts have been contributed since then. The Red Cross and its partners distribute them through VA hospitals, veterans’ homes and Stand Down events. Veterans who receive a quilt through a hospital or care facility can take it home when discharged.
