TO GIVE LOVE IS TO RECEIVE LOVE: AN INTERVIEW WITH PATRICK WILSON

By Zach Forte

We feel very fortunate and grateful for the many different people, organizations, and corporations that have assisted The Love Quilt Project (LQP). As we launch our Giving Tuesday campaign, we’d like to introduce our spokesperson for this campaign, award-winning director, producer, singer, and stage and screen actor, Patrick Wilson. While perhaps best known for his roles in horror franchises such as The Conjuring and Insidious, he is passionate about giving back to those in need.

Patrick Wilson recording a promotional video with LQP's Video Producer, Christian Montalbano

“Dagmara, my wife, is from Poland and we have a very globalist view of the world… the world‘s very small and while I have a lot of care and attention placed on the kids and causes here in America, I do tend to strive towards the greater good in both because of how our country responds to crises in the world and how we as citizens and people should be able to reach around the world if we have the opportunity to help those in need.”

Patrick Wilson with wife and fellow actor, Dagmara Domińczyk.

Family has always been important to Patrick as ever since becoming a father, he has been drawn to charities focusing on children. “Being a parent changes you forever. You see the world through your children’s eyes, no matter if they’re babies or in high school… It’s impossible to differentiate the two when you’re a parent. Every cause related to children– your own or someone else’s– rises to the top. Family is the most important word in my dictionary. The Love Quilt Project is something for me that’s pretty profound, both its intentions and its practices.”

With family and children so high on his list of priorities, it’s no surprise that Patrick became involved with the LQP, stating how he enjoys working with those whose values align with his own, and those invested financially and emotionally, not only providing children with warmth, love, and a means of education, but also teaching the next generation the importance of helping those in need.

Patrick and Dagmara both believe in the importance of education and have taught lessons on how to make a Love Quilt, with children designing squares that are later sewn on, stressing the beauty of showing these students how they can do good for children halfway across the world through artistry.

“There’s something about a child here in New Jersey, making a square for somebody they don’t know that’s going to go on a quilt, that’s going to fly across to the other side of the world perhaps, and reach the hands of a child that will need it and will value it…f they can understand I put a little bit of my own self, of my love, of my passion into this little square. That is the greatest gift that you can give to children, especially the ones that are making them.” The couple’s faith in the power of creative contributions and bridging gaps between children across oceans serves as a beautiful reminder of the impact one makes through acts of kindness.

When we asked Patrick if there was a central message that he wanted to share, his mind went back to the old adage, “It takes a village”. “When I see the struggles around the world, it’s hard to ignore how much we have to look out for not only each other, but the next generation, and do whatever we can to provide them with the right framework to succeed. This is one part of that framework that’s very important, which is looking outside of yourself, giving to children sometimes outside of your own community, outside of your own state, your own country to understand that we all have to band together to succeed.”

Patrick's thoughts capture the spirit of the LQP and the joint accountability we all bear in fostering a more promising future. In a world where challenges know no borders, this framework of compassion and support becomes all the more essential. As we unite, reaching beyond our own neighborhoods, we not only give children the tools to succeed but also foster a sense of reciprocity that binds us together in the collective mission of creating a better world for all.