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Area woman seeking help Covering the Blue
BURGETTSTOWN -- A Burgettstown-area woman is seeking help in her ongoing effort called Covering the Blue.
Diane Huggins is the founder of the project launched three years ago through a Facebook page of the same name, the goal of which was recruiting help in crocheting black afghan lap covers made with a royal blue stripe down the center. They are being provided to police officers and corrections officers wounded in the line of duty anywhere in the United States to honor and show support and appreciation for them.
The Facebook page notes, "Our group has come together to make lap afghans for our line of duty wounded police officers, correction officers, K-9 officers and for officers who have lost their beloved K-9 partner, we want to show them our support and love."
In an e-mail, Huggins noted, "This is and has been a heart-breaking journey but a much needed one for our officers out there. More than ever they need to know there is support that people still care about them, that they matter, that they are not serving their communities for nothing. They don't deserve what they get and they deserve so much more than they get."
"We are a private group now to protect our members and volunteers which are a total of 1,269," she explained. "We are crocheting the Thin Blue Line afghans, and making big tied fleece covers for injured K-9s and lately we have had many of them. We have shipped out 1,357 covers across the country and are still going strong," she added.
"Two of our crocheted thin blue line covers saved a couple officers' lives who were thinking of taking their own lives but when they received the covers, they reached out to me and let me know they stopped because they knew people truly did care about them," she added.
"We need volunteers who can crochet, make K-9 covers or make monetary donations to help with shipping, which we do priority mail so we know the officers receive their covers. This is quite expensive, and with COVID, I was not able to set up at any fundraisers," Huggins continued.
"We can use black red heart yarn, red heart royal blue yarn and even non-peel fleece in black and royal blue or mare blue with 1 1/2 yards of each. All donations go to our injured officers and all money and donations are kept track of both coming in and going out. We are under the Jefferson Township Historical Society 501(c)(3) umbrella, and we are very grateful to them," Huggins noted.
"You are welcome to join our group, you just need to answer a few questions then I will welcome you in. We accept those who just want to show support to our law enforcement, those who want to make covers and those who want to donate to the cause," Huggins explained. "We are a very friendly and supportive group and are proud to show our support for our officers out there. I see their stress, their pain, their great works they do for their communities and as founder of Covering the Blue, I am dedicated in standing with them, for them and covering our injured officers so they know how much we care," she noted.
"This is our group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoveringtheBlue/members."
Checks can be made out to JTHS-Covering the Blue with donations mailed to JTHS-Covering the Blue, P.O. Box 383, Burgettstown, PA 15021
"This is a great cause and is so very needed in these difficult times for our law enforcement across our country," added Huggins.
For information on the project, visit the Facebook page or contact Huggins by e-mail at dhuggins2@verizon.net.
Weirton photographer has
image selected for exhibition
WEIRTON -- Weirton native and professional photographer Garen DiBartolomeo's image "Tinker" has been selected for the 2021 American Photographic Artists/LosAngeles "Off the Clock" exhibition.
It is sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Photographic Artists, the country's leading nonprofit advocate for commercial photographers.
The exhibit is curated by Rebecca Morse, director of the department of photography at the LA County Museum of Art.
Chosen from more than 1,300 images submitted by professional photographers, the 100 wnning photographs will be published in book form.
To view the gallery of winning selections, visit https://la.apanational.org/exhibits-contests/entry/off-the-clock-2021-gallery/.
Free program offered to help families, children communicate
WEIRTON -- Parents finding it difficult to communicate with their children, ages 10-14, are invited to participate in a free program offered by the Brooke-Hancock Family Resource Network in September.
Families who attend five or more sessions will each receive a Samsung tablet and those who attend all seven will be entered into a drawing for a 32-inch Smart television.
The sessions include light, hands-on activities designed to promote understanding and respect among family members.
For information, call Rita Hawkins at (304) 748-7850.
Port Homer Church to host
revival services on Sept. 2-5
TORONTO -- Port Homer Church, located at 2454 county Road 68, Toronto, will host evening revival services Sept. 2-5.
The 7 p.m. services will feature evangelist Randy Peters. Everyone is welcome, a church spokesperson noted.
The church also will be hosting a special service on Sept. 19 with the 11 a.m. service featuring the Gillium family from Michigan. They are missionaries to the Middle East.
Brooke Retired School
Employees to meet Sept. 14
WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County Association of Retired School Employees will meet at noon on Sept. 14 at the St. Francis Center. Socializing time will be from 11:30 a.m. to noon, when lunch will be served.
Reservations must be made before Sept. 7.
The cost is $12 to $14. Call Ruth Lewis at (304) 737-2341. The program will be a Brooke Hills Playhouse performance.