Two Air Force veterans have shifted operations in their patriotic Virginia woodshop to help kids spending time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brian Steorts and Joe Shamess, co-founders of the American-flag themed woodcraft company Flags of Valor, have designed mini-American flag wood kits for children. The kits offer an alternative for at-home art class while also fostering conversations about patriotism and military service between children and their parents.

“When they build their own flag, they can have an opportunity to learn about the flag and what it means,” said Steorts, a MOAA member. “They’ll learn the immense sacrifice Americans have ensured for the values it stands for. We wanted to make this a movement.”

The Kid's Flag Build Kit includes all the wood pieces to assemble a flag with a frame and easel. There is no cutting required, and kids can color the pieces with crayons or paint. One kit costs $18.50, but discounts are given for multiple orders and bulk pricing is available.

Steorts and Shamess met when they were Air Force pilots stationed together at Hurlburt Field near Pensacola, Fla. Steorts was injured on his ninth deployment and, for the first time, didn’t wear a uniform with the American flag on it every day.

The Kid's Flag Build Kit comes with pre-cut wood pieces and step-by-step instructions. (Courtesy of Flags of Valor)

He began woodworking to help him during his rehabilitation and gravitated toward art that depicted the American flag. He and Shamess co-founded Flags of Valor in 2015. The company focuses on hiring veterans to create large wooden flag-art pieces.

When the COVID-19 pandemic sent children home for the year, the men knew they wanted to find a way to help. They’ve dedicated their time in their Virginia workshop to create hundreds of the flag kits, ready to ship.

They teamed up with DonorsChoose, a crowdsourcing website that allows teachers to make requests for funding for materials or field trips for their students.

“There’s so many ways to serve and we chose to serve first in the military, and then to try to continue that service in the business environment in a method of employing veterans,” Shamess said. “There’s so many ways to serve, though. There are people out there – I don’t care if you’re a medical professional or a delivery driver – assuming greater risk for others and we value that, and we are grateful for that.”

While the kits are designed for all children, Steorts and Shamess recognize they could be a special project for military children to work on with their parents. Both men have children and have watched their resiliency as they’ve moved for assignments in the military.

“As a military kid, you’re constantly surrounded by the flag,” Shamess said. “It doesn’t matter what rank you are or what service you are. It’s a powerful image for all Americans. Their parents have taken an oath to support that. That’s something most people have never done. The flag is the ultimate image of that.”

Learn more about the kit here.