January 2018 Newsletter

Hello PL Blanketeers,

Here we are again at the close of another successful year of PL volunteerism.  Your participation is the heart of what we do and I am able to distribute blanket hugs to kids only because you create them. 

Christmas is an important time of year for our distribution and we have made lots of kids smile this Christmas because of all of you.

Welome Baby Program,

 

This program is operated under the United Way Grants.  It serves underprivileged moms and helps provide them and their new babies with supplies and products that every baby should have.  Our PL blankets have been a special gift to these moms as you see in the picture. 

Pay It Forward  - Salt Lake City Police

Well I never thought I would ever see a big tough cop sitting on Santa’s lap!  But here he is with his little shopper at a participating Walmart on Parley’s Way.  What a fun morning it was – watching little ones bond with their officer and pick out gifts.  The kids had breakfast with their officer, rode in the police cars, shopped, had a picture with Santa, picked out a PL blanket and a backpack and had a lot of fun.   Special thanks to Dustin Parks, of the SLC Department for organizing the event. 

Granite Park Junior High  - English as a Second Language

There are five periods a day at this junior high school in Granite District where kids study to learn our language.  They already speak many different languages.  But a blanket hug has its own language of love.   Thanks to Blanketeer, Marie Jex, who works at the school, we were able to reach these kids with a Christmas blanket.     

 Shriver Center – Chapter 1 Pre School

     Just thought you would like to see the smiling faces on these little ones as they hold their blankets.  They were so excited to choose a blanket for Christmas. 

Our Blanket Making Schedule

We try to be consistent with our blanket day schedule and usually meet on the first Monday of every month.  However – In January our work space at OSLC is not available on the first 3 Mondays

We are happy to share our space with the Family Promise Program that offers shelter to homeless families.  To accommodate them, we will be meeting on Thursday, January 4^th.  Hope to see you then. 

Riverton group will meet on their usual day – the 4^th Friday of the month – January 26^th. 

            

Extending Thanks

As we close the year and look back at our record and progress, I would like to extend my thanks, to all of you who are the heart of PL.  There would be no PL without you – blanket makers – donators – deliverers – labelers – packagers – and all of you who come together and enjoy working together. 

This year our total distribution of blanket hugs to kids:  2842!  What an amazing things we can accomplish when we all work together. 

Happy New Year, 

Millie

Newsletter- December 2017

Hello Blanketeers,

December 4^th is blanket day at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church – 10:00 to 2:00.  Plan to join us for some work, and a noon luncheon to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas Holiday Season.  

        Police Officers – Pay It Forward

 Dustin Parks, Community Programs Manager at the SLC police department, will be handling a program this year for troubled children to bond with police officers.  If you want to observe this event the children will be Christmas shopping with officers on the morning of December 16^th at the Walmart on Parleys Way – arriving there about 7:00 am.  Everyone is pleased that our P L Chapter will be donating scores of blankets for this event.

Santa’s (Project Linus) Helpers

   These are our "Santa Bags" all ready to go out to 300 children before December 24th.  We have to start early in order to get them to children in need of a blanket hug by Christmas.

 

       They are headed for:  Refugee children, St Mark’s NICU, Pioneer Valley Newborn, Guardian ad Litem, Army National Guard, DDI Vantage program, Welcome Baby, Shriver Center, Police and kids shopping, and Life Start Village (women’s and children’s refuge.)  

  

  

An Inspiring Donation! 

This is Pat Ames who is an Etsy internet entrepreneur.  She has donated 47 quilt-making kits to our Chapter quilt makers.  Pat found that sewing quilts is very time consuming and it turned out not to be the enterprise that fit her personality.  She found that quick turn-around-projects like collars and bows ties for pets worked better for her. 

   Each quilt kit contains matched quilt bottom, top, edging, binding, and even matching thread.  Our participating quilters will buy the batting to complete the quilts, and the quilts will soon be in the hands of kids who need a blanket hug.   Huge thank you to Pat for joining our service to children in need.

A BIG THANK YOU

Our Chapter is 100% privately funded and operated by volunteers who buy fabric, prepare fabric, sew, crochet, knit, label, package and distribute blanket hugs to children age 0 to 18 years old. 

Thanks to all our volunteers for a wonderful successful year of giving to children in need. 

     BEST WISHES FOR YOUR CHIRISMAS – MAY IT BE FILLED WITH LOVE.       Millie

Newsletter November 2017

   

       Looking forward to a time to pause and give thanks.  

                  November blanket days are scheduled at:

       Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church on Monday November 6^th 10:00 am. 

       Riverton Senior Center Monday 9:30 am. November 20^th (so not to conflict with Thanksgiving weekend).

  Something New? – A Quilt-Bee Quilt

Have you heard of this - an “online quilt bee”?   Apparently the organizer solicits participants who then send their quilt blocks to her in the mail.  They communicate by email.  So the quilt has many participants on a color scheme and design.  Usually they run for 12 months and 12 people each have a month to make their quilts.  There are several variations of how this could work.   This beautiful quilt is “seeing stars” by Imagine Circle.

Knitting circles are also still popular.  They allow time for visiting, for exchanging ideas, and for making friends with people who sit together and work together.  The social and sharing part of knitting circles keeps them viable. 

      It may be much cheaper to buy at Walmart – but where is the Love?

 

A New October Project

   Blanketeer, Beckie Bailey, (who put our blanket pattern on the blogspot) has been busy this month directing a group of volunteers in the skill of making Linus blankets.   Their blankets ranged from fleece fringe to crochet edges as you see in this picture.  Thanks for your service Michelle Lunt and Cari Vassel and all their helpers. 

 

Our Goals as PL Blanketeers

    In our fast-paced society it is easy to get caught up in the idea that bigger is always better.  Our chapter  has grown – but at this time we are doing as much as any one chapter can do and do well.  Our focus has always been quality not quantity.

     The blankets that you blanketeers hand-make are special gifts for children in crisis.  Each one is made carefully and skillfully so that the child who receives it would want it as a keepsake even after the cuddle days are over. 

     I just wanted to remind you all that we do -what we do -because we love the process of creating original gifts -quilts, crochets, etc.    

      That’s where the love is. 

Thanks to all you blanketeers for your continued work of love. 

    Millie

P L Newsletter –October 2017

Hello Blanketeers

           We are now back to our regular first Monday of the month schedule for our blanket making day at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church.  In October it will be on the 2^nd, 10:00 to 2:00.   Riverton Senior Center day will be October 27^th on the 4^th Friday 9:30 to noon.

About Communication

      This month has been difficult for me since I have been experimenting with a new way to reach you since gmail will not send blind copy information any more.  So, I have organized a new group called “google groups” which is designed just for newsletters and clubs. 

       In order to be in the group and receive the information you have to click on “accept the invitation” within a week of the time I send it.      Millie

Herriman South Stake Project

     Blanketeer, Patsy Bueno met with a huge group of volunteers this month to introduce Project Linus and to help them make blankets for distribution to children in Salt Lake County.  Lisa LeStarge and the women of Herriman South Stake have been diligent about learning the fringe loop pattern that we prefer.  Thanks to all of them as well as to Patsy for coordinating this large project. 

South Jordan 2^nd Ward

   Thanks to the participants of South Jordan 2^nd Ward for their donation and volunteerism.  They submitted a large number of double fleece blankets.  All of them are well done and fringed using our pattern. 

   

Smiths Inspiring Donations

        Don’t forget to go on line and attach your Smith ID to our number so we can receive donations when you make purchases. 

Blankets to Texas

      Shipping blankets is very expensive as they are so heavy.  But I was able to find a donation that allowed us this past month to ship 20 blankets to the survivors of Hurricane Harvey in Texas .

 Thanks to all of you for all you do - month after month.     Millie