2025 May Newsletter

Spring is Here - and So Is the Fundraising Season!

We've made it through another winter, and spring has finally arrived! It's been a wonderful year so far, and we're thrilled to share that our chapter is quickly approaching a huge milestone within the next few months: 40,000 blankets distributed since we began in 2007. What an incredible achievement - and it's all thanks to your continued support!

We are also thrilled to announce that we recently received a generous grant from South Jordan Walmart! We're incredibly grateful for their commitment to our community - this funding will go a long way in helping us continue our mission. We're hopeful that more local Walmart stores will follow their lead!

This month's newsletter is all about fundraising and ways to help our chapter. Keep reading to learn how you, your family, and your friends can help us keep the momentum going.

Karen & Millie

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As many of you know, with Joann's stores closing, we're facing a big challenge: finding fleece at the low prices we've come to rely on. This may mean higher costs and fewer purchases - which is why your support is more important than ever. While we're grateful for the generous donations of quilting fabric we've received, fleece donations are rare, and most of our funds go toward purchasing fleece for both our blanket days and crocheted-edge fleece blankets.

But fleece isn't all we need! Your contributions also help us buy:

Scissors, rotary cutters, blades, thread and blanket labels

Plastic bags for deliveries

Cardstock paper for blanket tags

Paper, envelopes, and stamps for correspondence

To help stretch our limited budget and preserve funds for fleece, we've created an Amazon Wish List and a Walmart registry filled with the non-fabric supplies we regularly use.

Visit the new "Wish List" tab on our blog for simple instructions on how to find and use these lists. These are easy ways for anyone to lend a hand.

Here's how you can help:

Visit our wish list and registry and purchase items we need.

Share our wish list and registry with friends and family.

Consider asking for a donation in your name this Mother's Day or your birthday (do any of us really need more stuff?!?)

Thank you for being a part of our mission. Together, we're wrapping more children in love, one blanket at a time!

Looking For More Ways to Support Our Chapter?

For a full list of ideas, check out the "Ways to Help" tab for easy ideas on how you can make a difference!

Smith's Inspiring Donations

A big shoutout to our supporters who shop at Smith's! Our 1st quarter donation from the Smith's Inspiring Donations program came in at nearly $60, which is almost a 50% increase from the 4th quarter of 2024. Amazing job, Smith's shoppers!

If you haven't linked your Smith's rewards card to our chapter yet, it's a simple way to help us earn more donations - at no cost to you. You'll find all the details on the "Ways to Help" tab. And don't forget to encourage your friends and family to link their cards too!

Got a little time? Want to try something new?

If you are a regular at the Riverton blanket making group, you already know that Jackie and Chris are a quilting dream team - running what feels like a quilt top factory! Thanks to generous fabric donations, they've been able to keep things humming along. Chris puts together quilt top kits and sends them out to various groups, who return completed tops ready for the final steps: batting, backing, and finishing.

Here's the catch - they're swamped.

With over 15 quilt top makers feeding their system, Jackie and Chris need help keeping up. They haven't dared count exactly, but there are somewhere between 150 and 200 quilt tops waiting to be finished!

Finishing a blanket doesn't have to be complicated. You can keep it simple with "stitch in the ditch", straight or diagonal lines, or even a sweet heart or star design - anything that secures the layers together. Or, if you're feeling creative, go wild with a more detailed design. Every stitch helps make a difference.

We have a new "Blanketeer" helping out, and it's making a dent - but more hands would make a huge impact. Chris and Jackie would love a couple more people to join in and help get these cozy creations into the arms of kids who need them.

If this sounds interesting to you or if you have any questions, please reach out to Chris at 801-550-9916. She will give you the details and provide everything you need: the quilt top, batting, backing, and even matching thread when available.

Help Chris and Jackie help our chapter continue delivering comfort and warmth - one quilt at a time!