Name: Peekskill Youth Bureau 9/11 Quilt Crafters
- Tamia Young
- Jamiraquan Shephard
- Majaci’d Alexander
- Savion Williams
- Justin Burden
- Olivia McIntosh
- Wesley Southall
- Christine Johnson
- Ta’Tyana Johnson
- Nikia Robinson
- Iman Mickens
Ages: 11-14
School(s): Peekskill Middle School and River View High School
Accomplishment: Working as a group, members of the L.I.F.T (Leadership Initiative for Teens) Program at the Peekskill Youth Bureau have constructed a large quilt memorializing those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. On Thursday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. the quilt will be presented to Ken Jenkins, the Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators.
Key to Awesomeness: Over the past three weeks the members of L.I.F.T have been spending roughly three hours each weekday after school to complete the 9/11 quilt that they have been constructing.
Working together with Kaitlin Singleton, L.I.F.T.’s Program Coordinator at the Youth Bureau, and Anthony Tonich, an Art Volunteer at PYB, the children cut felt, squeezed tubes of glue, and “glitter-ized” a large, 6’ X 8’ piece of fabric that will be presented with the Youth Bureau Board Members to Jenkins, who will then decide where to permanently display the quilt.
“We wanted to make something that would stay in the community,” Singleton said.
With the help of Singleton the children were able to successfully track down the names of the local residents that lost their lives in the World Trade Center attacks, and listed each individual and their family’s name on the quilt amongst pictures of the towers, flags and images of responders.
“The September 11th Memorial Blanket is extremely important to Youth Bureau Participants,” Singleton said.
“Most of the Youth that worked on this project were only toddlers when the tragedy of 9/11 happened. As they grew up they learned about 9/11 at school, they now want to give back to their community and commemorate the tragic event.”
At the top center of the quilt, above a large image of the Twin Towers, is a laminated piece of paper that features a heartfelt statement about the historical event written by Youth Bureau member, Justin Burden.
In the paragraph Burden speaks for the members of the Peekskill Youth Bureau and explains that the project was taken on, “…to remind everybody about who we have lost and those who have lost loved ones…” and concludes the passage by writing, “We never want to forget this terrible attack on our country and the people who died from Peekskill who will always be in our hearts.”
“I think it’s very positive and keeps them aware of what’s going on in the world,” said Courtnery Speights, a Youth Bureau Board member. “And it’s fun for them to do.”
As she applied glue and glitter to a piece of felt Tamia Young, a young quilt maker chimed in her take on the group’s project.
“It kind of makes me emotional,” Young said.
When questioned about what they would like the public to think when they saw the quilt the children thought for a second. Majaci’d Alexander was the first to answer.
“I want them to think, ‘Woah, that’s nice,’” Alexander said.
“I hope when people walk by they’ll see something different,” Burden added.
The Peekskill Youth Bureau’s L.I.F.T Program is open Monday – Friday from 3-6 p.m. for children ages 11-14. For enrollment information contact Ms. Banks or Ms. Kaitlin at 914-734-2186.
