(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center hosted a special presentation to award nine quilts to local veterans on Veterans Day Saturday, Nov. 11 through Quilt of Valor.

Recipients are nominated by friends, family members, or people whom they have served alongside. The mission of the foundation is to cover veterans with a comforting and healing quilt of valor.

“It’s bittersweet because I just lost my dad who was a WWII Vet… It makes you feel very warm and very thankful,” said Kathy Devlin, a retired Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserves and a quilt recipient. “If you know a veteran hug them, thank them and their family for supporting them.”

The quilts awarded today were made by Mt. Carmel Quilters as well as the Peace and Partners Quilt Guild. If you would like to nominate a veteran you can visit qovf.org.

“We believe the three layers of the quilt have a lot of meaning. When we put the top together, it’s the piecing of lives that our military has to put together during their service. The middle layer is the warmth and comfort, and the back and stitching is what holds it all together representing the families and community,” said Mandi Elder, group coordinator for Mt. Carmel Quilt of Valor.