Blankets for Haiti Update

On February 13 Momcat and her BFF Kim participated in the Blankets for Haiti event sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Project Linus Chapter. 

Here's a report from Momcat:

I wanted to wait until I received all the information from the our Project Linus coordinator. All the stats are now in the newsletter, so I can share them with you.

The event was held in a church.  First we checked in, dropped off our blankets and signed the volunteer form. Then we were put to work.

The first job was to separate three types of blankets:  Fleece created one category, flannel was one category, and quilts intended for local use were the final category.  You can see Kim is the pretty lady in glasses and the pink sweater sorting and folding blankets.

The blankets had to be folded tightly together and placed into green/black lawn and leaf bags. In the picture above you can see a man on the right doing just that.

Once a garbage bag was full, a vacuum cleaner hose was placed in the bag to suck out all the air. In effect, we were shrink-wrapping the bags.  When you're a nine-year-old boy, that's a pretty fun job to have.

Once the bags had the air sucked out they were duct taped and labeled with the number of blankets enclosed and whether they were fleece or flannel.  The lady in the gray sweatshirt is doing that while helping the woman in the scarf to a station.

The bags were then placed in large cartons. Each carton was numbered and then a sheet was created with corresponding numbers indicating contents (3 fleece and 4 flannel = total number of blankets, for instance). That was my job.  Kim was a great sorter and folder so she stayed in that position.

Helpers were all ages and sizes. What a wonderful way for children to help other children. All the blankets stacked and folded on the floor of this picture are from the group of friends I contacted who surpassed my wildest dreams with their generosity.

These bags represent quilts made for the regular chapter drop-off. Even though contributors focused on the Blankets for Haiti project, they still found time to make quilts for our area children in need.

Click here for the link to the full article about the event: March 2010 Project Linus Cincinnati Chapter newsletter.


The chapter committed to 1000 blankets for the cause - - - and collected 1,500!

Shipping cost $680 - - contributors gave $580 and the remaining $100 came from the chapter account.

There were almost 40 volunteers (so many that some of us worked just a little to give someone else a turn).

To all my friends who contributed in some way, whether by making a blanket or simply praying for the project, I humbly give you thanks.

Joyfully,
Linda (and Piwacket)