December 15,2022
Hello and Merry Christmas Blanketeers,
Year End Report
Today- closing off the business of 2022 and getting ready to start the new year of 2023. The total blankets delivered to children in 2022 was 2696! Our chapter has delivered a grand total (since its inception under our founder Kathy Marrow) of 33,696 blankets.
We have developed new delivery sites and lost some of the older ones. Change is the only constant it seems.
We also have welcomed our new partner to our chapter this year - our new official assistant: Karen Heaton. Happy to have a partner.
Christmas Fun
This month at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church we enjoyed a blanket making day complete with Christmas lunch as a thank you to our volunteers. Yesterday, the Riverton group of blanket makers also had a lovely day with the quilters at Mountain Vista Methodist Church – a brunch and blanket making.
Here is the planned schedule for blanket days next year. Of course, it always depends on weather, holidays, and other unexpected events. But this is the plan.
OSLC 10:00 to 1:00 MVMC 1:00 to 3:00
January 9th January 18th
February 6th February 15th
March 5th March 15th
April 3rd April 19th
May1st May 17th
June 5th June 21st
July 10th July 19th
August 7th August 16th
September 11th September 20th
October 2nd October 18th
November 6th November 15th
December 4th December 20th
Shop with a Cop
This year the officers did not contact me about delivery. I tried to reach them I found that my contact officer was no longer in charge of the Pay it Forward program. The new one had no clue that we have always donated and been a part of that special day.
Detective Hadlock is now in charge of outreach programs and was sorry to miss us. But, now we have a new idea! She wants to pick a school where there are low-income families and homeless children. She will give blankets to a couple of kindergarten classes before Christmas break. I agree that it is a good thing for Children to see police officers in a positive role. She also wants to have Linus blankets in the patrol cars so they can give comfort to kids on the scene of an encounter.
Hospitals
Recently hospitals have been so overwhelmed with junky blankets - fleece tied in knots or cut every which way- that several hospitals have refused to take any blankets at all.
The LDS Hospital is scheduled to close soon and scheduled to be rebuilt further south in the city. The new-born unit in Salt Lake Regional downtown has no need for the gifts at this time.
However, Riverton Hospital, under the direction of their Children’s Program coordinator Kristine Hatton is flourishing. She has organized deliveries to every part of the hospital from newborn to out-patient etc. She needs anywhere from 60 to 80 blankets a month – all fleece and no quilts.
Alta View Hospital gives our blankets from the gift shop to moms who check out with their new babies.
The key to being successful in getting the blankets to the needy ones in the hospitals - is to have one person on site who directs the program. Otherwise, they get lost in the maze of care giving.
Social Services
We also deliver many quilts and blankets to social services in the County.
Children’s Justice Center in Riverton has been very happy to have our blankets – 60 last month. But again, fleece only, and only large size. They are a comfort for a child who has just endured a forensic exam.
Guardian ad Litem program has been distributing our blankets for at least the 10 years that I know of. They go to children who have been assigned an attorney to represent them. They are distributed at the rate of about 40 to 60 a month and are very comforting to a child in that stressful situation.
Family Road Home is a gracious recipient of quilts. They never put them with the stacks of general donations – but put them inside in a special space.
Refugee Services is always in need of quilts – larger ones. Hearts Knit Together is happy to have small quilts.
So, there is a place for every blanket made with love and care. With your help we plan to keep them coming.
See you all Next Year,
Millie
