FARMINGTON — Roderick-Crosby American Legion Post 28 held a resource fair on Friday, Oct. 11, to connect veterans with potential employers. During the fair, a Quilt of Valor was presented to Roger Ryder, a post member from Temple.

Jeremy Powers, a Freshman at University of Maine at Farmington from Cape Elizabeth was talking with Patricia “Tricia” Thurston, commander American Legion Department of Maine at the American Legion booth. He served in the Marine Corps.

Teresa Drag, Commander of VFW Post 8797 in South Paris was seen talking with Krista Hinkley and Cara Crowley at the Beltone booth. Beltone is a hearing aid company with 12 offices in Maine including one in Farmington.

Rose Dubay, founder of Rose’s Room was there with information about the organization that supports families of incarcerated loved ones. Monthly in-person meetings are held in Alfred and Auburn. Facilitators are always needed. For more information call 207-998-2547.

Sgt. Brooklynn Brown was recruiting employees for the Franklin County Detention Center.

Peter Tracy, membership chair for Post 28 said Roger Ryder served in the Army during the Vietnam War.

To begin the special presentation Drag said the Quilt of Valor is a civilian award and read a certificate that was then presented to Ryder. The quilt was draped around Ryder’s shoulders by Thurston and Brad Beane, Career Center veteran’s representative with Career Centers and the Maine Department of Labor [MDOL].

Quilts of Valor are meant to wrap honorably discharged service members with healing, Drag noted. Since the program began in 2003, 397,000 have officially been awarded as of the end of September [the program wasn’t good at counting who received them initially], she said.

Quilts have been presented in Iraq and Germany, sister groups have formed in Canada and Australia, she noted. Maine works closely with the Canadian group as some veterans from Maine live in Canada, “it is nice to coordinate across the border,” Drag said.

A quilting group usually makes the top which is then brought to a long armer [someone who uses a quilting technique that uses a specialized machine to stitch together the three layers of a quilt] to put the quilt together with a soft middle and backing, Drag stated. The front includes several pieces which represent the different types of people who served, the middle represents thanks for all people providing comfort and the back represents the strength of community that holds us together, she noted.

“You can use this Quilt of Valor wherever you wish to use it,” Drag said. “One veteran uses it in his truck. It is meant to be used.”

Before and after the quilt presentation, veterans were seen visiting the many businesses at their tables on the two levels of Post 28.

Tracy said auxiliary member Jennifer Kimble was the “key behind the resource fair. The focus is veterans, jobs and helping veterans. Groups are always looking for a place to have a public forum.”

Quite a few veterans and post members have visited so far, Tracy noted. “It is good,” he added.

“I just wanted to provide resources for local veterans, the community,” Kimble said. “I got Brad Bean to help me put it together.”

Bean is involved with Maine’s Hire-A-Vet Campaign which helps veterans find employment. The campaign starts with a cookout at the Augusta Civic Center, then three other venues are aimed for, he said. This year they have been held at University of Maine at Presque Isle and Poland Springs with one scheduled at York County Community College next week, he noted. “This is the 10th year of the program, over 2,000 veterans have been hired over the 10 years,” he stated.

The campaign’s goal is to hire 100 veterans, Bean said. It’s motto is 100 days, 100 veterans, 100 employers. “We have surpassed the goal every year, 237 veterans were hired last year,” he noted.

“It has been a really productive program,” Leo Deon Jr., MDOL veterans’ program manager said. “Today is a product of Brad working in conjunction with the local American Legion Post to set this up. It is all on them.”