August 2017 Newsletter

                             

 Hi Blanketeers,

     Hope you are managing to keep cool.  Just a reminder - we are meeting again to make blankets at Our Saviour’s on August 7, 10:00 to 2:00. 

     Riverton Senior Center group also sends an invitation to attend their blanket-making day on July 28, from 9:30 to noon. 

     July has been a busy month though we did take a vacation day from our regular make-a-blanket-day.   We have had donations coming in and blankets moving out.

 

                                    Donation “In Kind”

      We received a large and generous donation “in kind” from Elaine Erickson.  She shared with us 8 bags of crochet thread and yarn and several sets of new matched and pre-cut flannel squares – priced at $9.99 each.  Also in the gift were 19 pre hemstitched commercial blanket & bib sets ready to crochet.  These unopened packages sport price tags from $19.99 to $29.99.  All of this is being shared with blanketeers who will work it into blankets for us to distribute!  Thanks so much to Elaine for thinking of PL. 

                        Sandy Senior Center  “Hooks and Needles”

The Hooks and Needles club coordinator, Gloria Schmick, from Sandy Center contacted me last month about her group’s possible contribution of blankets and quilts to PL.   I visited with them about PL and our purpose and goals.  They showed me the hand crafted blankets and quilts that they make.  They are a group of women who are experienced and who excel in handwork of several types.  I also shared our pattern for making a no-sew blanket of fleece.

This month they contributed 36 amazing and beautiful blankets to distribute to kids!  This is a picture of the blanketeers and the blankets they made. 

Hooks and Needles Club

                       

                                    St George – Snow Birds

Many of the snowbirds from St. George are again in Salt Lake for the summer months.  They are still contributing about 30 crochet edge fleece blankets each month – and they continue to do so year-round.  Thanks to Rochelle, Shirley, Karen, Bea and Terry. 

Whether you raise funds, crochet, knit, quilt, deliver, pick up, label, fringe edges, shop, cut and prepare fabric, or just give moral support to blanket makers, you are all appreciated.  Nothing would happen without all of you.   Sincere thanks,   

       Millie 

July 2017 Newsletter

HELLO BLANKETEERS,

Business is moving right along thru the summer even though we are all taking some time off for vacation.   Deliveries for end of June are at 211- You are an awesome group!   

    

JOYFULL WELCOME

     Joyce Rolf and WenDee Maple are the owners of this charity that serves teen moms who are in need of education in child care and newborn care.  These moms are also given a layette of new items that their babies will need when they are welcomed into this world. 

     Our PL chapter is now contributing baby blankets to Joyfull Welcome.  We are happy to be a part of this (all volunteer) team as they offer support to teen moms and newborns.  

 USANA

    Most people think of USANA as the company whose name is over the entry of the open-air theatre in West Valley.   But, there is also a USANA location in Tooele at Miller Motorsports Park, where the call center is located.  It is full of employees who care about their communities as well as their customers. 

   These employees support a variety of charity projects and donate time and money to those in need.  Directed by Gail Kaletta, they now have made fleece blankets to donate to our chapter of PL for us to deliver to children.  Thanks USANA employees.

Mountain Vista United Methodist Church

  

     MVUMC has been donating beautiful hand made quilts to PL for a number of years.  This year the quilters reached a milestone and celebrated achieving their goal of making 1000 quilts.  Actually it was 1030!  

     Jean Ann Nohavec is the coordinator of this quilt group and she has the complete support of Rev. Olga Hard as well as office manager, Raedell Elizondo. These quilters meet every Wednesday at noon and work for several hours.  

    This picture shows the “blessing of the blankets” which was a highlight of their celebration.  We also celebrate their devotion to volunteerism and to children in need of a blanket hug. 

Hope to see you all on August 7th.     Millie

June 2017 Newsletter

Hello Blanketeers,


Summer Make A Blanket Days Schedule

Our plan has always been to try to schedule our blanket days consistently on the same days of the months.  But, it isn’t always possible.  Sometimes conflicts arise and there are other needs for the space in which we are the guests.  Sometimes national holidays fall on our dates.  Here is the schedule for Summer.

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church:  First Monday of month

10:00 am to 2:00pm

            June 5^th            

            July     VACATION MONTH – NO MEETING SCHEDULED

                        (Drop blankets at the church or call Millie to pick up)

            August – 7^th

            September 11^th

Riverton Senior Center:  Forth Friday of month – 9:30 am to noon

            June 23^rd

            July 28^th

            August 25^th

            September 22^nd

                                   

 Guardian ad Litem Program

Our chapter has traditionally provided blankets to the children who are assisted thru the state Guardian ad Litem program.  In this way, we reach many children in crisis who are starting their journey thru the system of help that is set up for their care.  An attorney is assigned to follow and control their cases and their futures.

 

With the help of Lori Brown, our PL liaison with this program, each child who enters the system also gets a blanket hug as they leave the court.  Lori personally picks up the blankets each month and makes sure they are available at the request of the attorneys.  Here is a note sent to us from the managing attorney at Guardian ad Litem. 

“...... I just want to thank you so much for organizing and facilitating the distribution of Linus blankets to our office.  My clients love them and are so excited to take them home.  The parents also think they are wonderful.  Many times the children don’t remember our attorneys or coming to our office, but they do remember the blankets.  It is an incredible service.” 

            Kristin Fidel - Attorney

            Guardian ad Litem 

                                   

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD

                                   

 Our PL Chapter has an ongoing connection with children of military families.  Military deployment and reintegration are traumatic for families and especially for little ones.  This note was received last week from a soldier’s wife.  

“I just wanted to write and say thank you.  My sons received Linus Blankets at a YELLOW RIBBON event yesterday and they love them.  It made them feel so special and loved on a day that was a little scary for them.”   

Natalie Nelson Tower

   

 Happy stitching and have a great summer.

        I will be looking forward to seeing you at our blanket-day events.  Be sure to call me anytime if you need me to pick up blankets that you are ready to contribute.   

     801-656-9229      Millie

May 2017 Newsletter

April seems to have been "Make a Quilt Month" and we Do Love Quilts:

This past month we have received dozens of wonderful quilts from several groups of blanketers:

Square Corner Quilters

Mountain Vista Church Quilters

Jackie Cohen, Chris Nash & Murleen Fillmore group

Lanette Powell

Jean Peterson

THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

This beautiful child is Annika, who just turned 5 years old.  She has a cancer called Neuroblastoma and is now going thru her second run of chemotherapy.  She received this lovely crochet blanket from P.L and we are all wishing her well and hope this fancy cuddly blanket gives her some comfort.

East Hollywood High School

 The students at this charter school in West Valley City, are required to earn citizenship credits by participating in service projects.   A group of them has chosen to fulfill this credit by making no-sew fleece blankets for P.L.  These two girls and two boys (who ran away to class before I could get their picture) spent some time with me to learn the proper way to make the blankets.  Their plan now is to teach other kids the process and make blankets before school is out for the summer.  


WELCOME BABY/BABY YOUR BABY

In April we were able to share many of these fabulous quilts with new moms and expectant moms.  Baby your Baby is a part of WICK (a Utah State Agency) which assists young mothers, underprivileged mothers, and high-risk pregnancies.  They counsel and teach vital information about pregnancy and infant care.  They provide formula and diapers, and give support to each other.  The goal is to insure that moms and babies are on top of the parent thing.

HAVE A MARVELOUS MONTH OF MAY,     MILLIE