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Local News - September 2002 |
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Officers now armed with quilts Guild hopes to comfort children in stressful state By ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writer September 2, 2002 - Want to see the softer side of Lincolnton police officers? Look in the trunks of their cars. Officers will soon be toting comfy baby quilts around in their patrol cars. The quilts, which are a patchwork design of different colors, were donated to the Lincolnton Police Department by the Piecemakers Quilt Guild. Piecemakers also donated quilts for RUOK, a safety program for seniors. Vicki McBride, president of Piecemakers, said the group felt like donating quilts to police officers was something that needed to be done. The initial idea the group was just to donate quilts for RUOK, but they decided to look for other ways to help and realized children could also benefit. “We look for places in the community we can be of service with the quilts,” McBride said. The baby blankets are packed individually in large Ziplock bags marked with a certain car number. The blankets will soon be passed out to officers, but for now, they sit in a box in Lt. Kenny Shrum’s office. It is hoped that the blankets will provide some comfort to children who are involved in difficult situations, Shrum said. If an officer runs into a traumatic situation with a child, the officer will be able to take away a little of the pain, just by popping the patrol car trunk. The blankets will help when a child is taken out of a violent situation, McBride said. The quilts will keep the children warm and give them something to clutch on to. “It’s something for them to keep,” Shrum said. McBride agrees. “Sometimes they just want something to hold on to,” she said. Each patrol car will be provided with a quilt, Shrum said. Officer S.L. Bailey packed a blanket in the trunk of his car Friday morning. Bailey thinks the quilts are a good idea to have when dealing with upset children. “I’m happy that I have a quilt to give to the little ones,” Bailey said. As officers give the quilts out to children in need, Piecemakers will donate more. “When one is gone, we’ll replace it,” McBride said.
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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