Laura Colbert is surrounded by some of the blankets she made for Women Warriors at Christmas time. (Photo by Jerry Colbert)
Peggy McGee
Laura Colbert, a Navy veteran and crafter extraordinaire, opened her heart and shared her talents by making no-sew blankets for homeless veterans and their children, who are part of the Women Warriors program. Women Warriors is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) charity that provides assistance to either homeless or unemployed female veterans to give them a new lease on life.
At the end of 2020, JoAnn Fabrics sponsored a Handmade Heroes contest to honor people who made handmade items and donated them to those in need. Laura had already made several no-sew blankets for pregnant veterans enrolled in the homeless program at the Tucson VA Hospital. Using the same pattern, she made blankets for 11 children and their five mothers to be used as Christmas gifts at the Women Warriors holiday party.
Her work met the contest criteria, and for her efforts she was awarded a $50 JoAnn Fabrics gift card. The accompanying note read, “Enclosed is a special gift to say thank you for continuing to inspire and help your community using your hands, hearts, and minds.”
When asked what she was going to use the gift card for, she didn’t hesitate to say that she had already purchased more fleece fabric to make blankets for the upcoming baby shower for the Arizona Air National Guard.