Stitches of West Brandywine Quilts of Valor presented quilts to five veterans who are members of the Tacony Senior Citizens Club
Tacony Senior Citizens Club on Monday welcomed volunteers from the nonprofit Stitches of West Brandywine Quilts of Valor.
The Coatesville-based group crafts quilts for veterans from Philadelphia to York.
The ladies from the group presented quilts to five veterans who are members of the Tacony Senior Citizens Club during the meeting at the Mayfair Community Center.
For more information, email qovstitches@gmail.com or visit the group’s page on Facebook.
The Halloween-themed meeting featured bingo and seniors dressed in costumes such as witches, a nun, a cowgirl, Carmen Miranda, Dorothy and Bobby Clarke.
The guest speaker was Patty-Pat Kozlowski, Republican candidate in the 177th Legislative District.
Kozlowski and the Tacony Senior Citizens Club made donations to the quilt organization.
The candidate, making her first run for office, raffled off lottery scratch-offs and a Halloween basket. She and her mom, Carmella, cooked lunch for the seniors. The menu included roast pork, hot and sweet sausage and peppers, mashed potatoes, corn, cookies and cake.
Kozlowski, 40, attended St. George Elementary School and describes herself as “a union kid.” She told the crowd she worked for the late Councilwoman Joan Krajewski. Her duties included driving Krajewski, whose favorite stops were the Mayfair Diner, the Dining Car and casinos.
“I miss her every day,” she said.
A Port Richmond native who lives in Bridesburg, Kozlowski also worked eight years for the city’s parks and recreation department
A longtime community activist, she said she’s used Narcan on several occasions to revive people who have overdosed on drugs.
When state Rep. John Taylor announced he would not seek another term, he encouraged her to run as a Republican because she would serve in the majority. Her top issue is preserving neighborhoods by, among other things, getting drug addicts off the streets.
“I am against safe injection sites,” she said.
Kozlowski has delivered peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to addicts living in drug tents at Emerald Street and Lehigh Avenue. She created a firestorm when she referred to an addict who was loitering on her block as a “junkie,” but said that’s her showing “tough love” and is happy with the outcome.
“There hasn’t been a drug deal at Salmon and Pratt since,” she said.
Kozlowski is back on the campaign trail after spending five days at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital after being bitten by a black lab while knocking on doors.
If elected, she’ll look forward to working with Rep. Martina White in opposition to sanctuary cities and controlling property taxes for senior citizens. ••
