Rewards
Who doesn’t love a good blanket to curl up with? Just picture it, sitting by a fire with your loved one, a mug full of a warm beverage and a warm crocheted or knitted blanket to curl up in. Doesn’t that sound so peaceful? Now picture a family who have nothing after a house fire and a handmade blanket and alone in a homeless shelter after they lost everything to a house fire, sad isn’t it. A warm blanket made by a kind stranger could be the best thing they have seen in a while. Be that kind person who makes a child or a family a blanket that they can start over with. There are so many different charities and shelters that take donations all day long but sometimes it can never be enough. Any shelter or crisis center that needs to keep a kid or adult safe after a traumatic experience often turns to a handmade donated blanket.
A blanket symbolizes a layer of protection. We use a blanket when we don’t feel good; we curl up and cover our selves. We use a blanket when we are scared of the shadows in the middle of the night to hide ourselves. We use a blanket for comfort. Lets pay it forward together and donate some perfect blankets to people in need.
1. Project Linus: When I think of a kid and a blanket my mind immediately goes to Linus from the classic Peanuts. Linus used his blanket for everything. It was his “security blanket.” At project Linus, a non-profited organization their mission providing handmade blankets to children in need. Project Linus provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through the gifts of new handmade blankets, lovingly created by the volunteers known as “banqueters.” Be the person to create a loving blanket for these children. Try using our Cotton Core Spun Alpaca yarn to make a super warm and fuzzy throw!
2. Things of My Very Own: Things of My Very Own, Inc. (TOMVO) is a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention services to children who have been impacted by extensive abuse and/or neglect. We also provide services to children at-risk of a Child Protective Services intervention solely due to not having items
necessary for sustainability. The organization works to keep children with their non-abusive family members and out of the foster care system whenever possible.
The transition out of an abusive situation is often sudden and unexpected. Rarely is a child able to return home to retrieve belongings prior to the move. TOMVO recognizes the need for children to have everything they need from the first moment on, and our goal is to provide children with Things of Their Very Own, even when they are in an unfamiliar setting. A blanket would be the perfect thing for a child in any of the mentioned or unthinkable situations. To know that you paid it forward and made someone feel safe can have a huge impact on a child who needs it most. Imagine the most adorable and snuggly blanket you could make with a yarn called Unicorn Snuggle! The colors and the texture of this yarn is incredible and any child would love to curl up with this. Start crafting!
3. Compassionate Creations: Compassionate Creations is a Massachusetts chapter of Threads of Compassion. They are a loosely connected group of survivors of sexual and domestic violence who desire to offer comfort and support to recent victims. A handmade blanket given to a victim from a survivor is a silent bond that can aid in comfort for the victims. A traumatic experience like this can cause a person to loose all sense of trust and love, but with the help of a handmade blanket can make a difference. A blanket is not the only thing that they make; they have a list of offerings that will aid in anyone’s trauma experience. I highly suggest a beautiful bright color like our Gumball Yarn pictured to the right. A blanket made by this yarn in this color will be sure to put a smile and offer some comfort to a victim.
Now that we have talked about three different organizations that will accept homemade blankets which one will you choose? Will you look for one local to you, or stick to one of the ones listed above? There are hundred of organizations that will accept crocheted or knitted blankets to help a person in need. Imagine the look on someone’s face when they receive their blanket after traumatic experience. You can be the difference and the light at the end of the tunnel to a person who didn’t think there was.
