For Immediate Release
Monday, December 9, 2024
Contact
Pat LaMarche, Epicjourney10@gmail.com
Scott McLarty, (202) 878-2112, scott@memorialblanket.org
Homeless Blanket dropoff to begin in Carlisle, Pa. on Tuesday, Dec. 10
Santa Claus to attend the kickoff as Homeless Memorial Blanket Project collects handmade blankets for the Dec. 21 display in Philadelphia
• When: Tuesday, December 10, 3:30 to 5:30 pm
• Where: 2 Court House Square, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
• Handmade blanket donations and volunteers sought for the display; Blanket Project web site with details and updates: https://memorialblanket.org
WASHINGTON, DC — The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project will begin collecting handmade blankets and quilts at a dropoff in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, December 10 in preparation for a display in Philadelphia on Saturday, December 21.
Santa Claus will make an appearance at 2 Court House Square in Carlisle, where blanket dropoff will take place, on Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. Blanket makers are encouraged to bring their children or grandchildren to greet Santa and tell him what they wish for.
The dropoff will continue daily, at the same time, through December 20. On December 21, memorial blanket volunteers will hand deliver the blankets to Philadelphia.
On Saturday, December 21, 2024, the Memorial Blanket Initiative will lay hundreds of blankets and quilts at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia to raise awareness of and share kindness to people experiencing homelessness.
The display will be free and open to the public from noon to 6 pm. Blanket makers in the Philadelphia area are welcome to drop off their blankets and quilts in person. The South Eastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church will deliver the hundred or more blankets that have been mailed to them throughout fall.
Free seats on a bus from Carlisle to Philadelphia will be available for people who’d like to volunteer at the display on December 21. Seats are limited — those wishing to ride and volunteer must contact Pat LaMarche at epicjourney10@gmail.com.
Past Memorial Blanket events include December displays in Washington, DC in 2022 and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 2023. Colorful photos of these displays can be viewed and downloaded at the website (https://memorialblanket.org).
The initiative seeks to unite people from across the country in a common cause: to make a difference through the warmth and comfort of handcrafted blankets and quilts to be shared with families and individuals without homes. The focus for the 2024 display is on students and other young people experiencing homelessness.
Organizers of the Memorial Blanket Initiative have issued an invitation to people who care: “Whether you’re a skilled knitter, crocheter, sewer, or new to crafting, your contribution can provide a special, personal touch to those in need of warmth.”
Participants can create blankets using any method they prefer — by knitting, crocheting, quilting, or sewing — and can donate them through the Memorial Blanket Initiative.
The blankets can be either 45 inches x 80 inches for individuals or 60 inches x 80 inches for family blankets. The Memorial Blanket newsletter at https://memorialblanket.org will provide information on transporting blankets to the display location.
For those unable to make blankets but still eager to contribute, financial donations are also accepted to help cover shipping costs, materials for others to turn into blankets and to support other organizational efforts. Donations can be made directly at https://memorialblanket.org. After the display ends on December 21, the blankets will be distributed to people in need.
#memorialblanket
MORE INFORMATION
Homeless Memorial Blanket Project on Facebook (national group)
To find a state Facebook group, type Homeless Remembrance Blanket and the state’s name in Search
https://www.facebook.com/groups/322512689587858
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MemorialBlanket
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