Name: Homemade quilts bring Christmas cheer to Pasco County veterans
Uploaded: 2025-12-25T05:47:24.685Z
Duration: 1 min 54 s
Description: Some Christmas cheer was delivered this week to a group of Pasco County veterans after a Tampa Bay 28 viewer reached out following a story highlighting the struggles faced by local veterans.

Some Christmas cheer was delivered this week to a group of Pasco County veterans after a Tampa Bay 28 viewer reached out following a story highlighting the struggles faced by local veterans.

Pasco County

Mary Lou King, a Pasco County resident, has dedicated the past 18 years to making quilts for local veterans, using donated materials and her own craftsmanship. After connecting with reporter Eric Waxler, she delivered her handmade quilts to veterans at Steps to Recovery in New Port Richey, a center supporting veterans overcoming addiction.

The quilts were distributed just before Christmas, offering both physical warmth and sentimental value to the recipients. Veterans and staff at the center expressed gratitude for Mary Lou's ongoing support, highlighting the positive impact of her efforts on the community.

Homemade quilts bring Christmas cheer to Pasco County veterans

Veterans are such an important part of our community, and tonight we want to highlight a Tampa Bay 28 viewer who goes above and beyond to offer support to local vets suffering from addiction. She reached out to our reporter Eric Waxler after seeing his story on affordable housing to tell him about the holiday gifts she provides to make sure no one is forgotten. Mary Lou King started making these quilts 18 years ago, but not for herself. Well, I've got a soft heart for veterans to begin with, but a lot of my friends are quilters, and I said, gee, I'd like to try that, and I just kind of ran with it. Mary Lou tells me people donate the material, and she does all the work. Whatever fabric I pick up, whatever design, I think, well, let's see, I'll do this today. Mary Lou has made and donated hundreds of her quilts over the years, and when she saw my recent story on a new affordable housing development for veterans, she wrote me an email asking if I could connect her to some local vets who might appreciate them. That led us both here to Steps to Recovery in New Port Richey. Recovery is a way of life and helping others is what we do. Steps to Recovery has more than 50 beds for veterans and focuses on helping them find their way through all the challenges they are facing, including addiction. Army veteran Victor Vargas tells me they changed his life. Came here, they helped me with my benefits, get me on track, two meetings a day. Now, just in time for Christmas, Mary Lou made her special delivery. You were my pathway to finding this place. The quilts, I know, they must be nice. I know there's more sentimental value than anything, and she's just giving back. That's the first time I met her. She seemed like a nice lady, and she's very talented. Mary Lou says she doesn't know what she would do without quilting. It's part of her life, and seeing others enjoy them makes it all worthwhile. It's heartwarming, and it keeps you warm, and it's just something that somebody made, and it makes it a little bit extra special. In New Port Richey, I'm Pasco County reporter Eric Waxler, Tampa Bay 28.

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