For Immediate Release
Monday, September 29, 2025
Contact
Pat LaMarche, Epicjourney10@gmail.com
Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, 303-319-9155, cathy.alderman@coloradocoalition.org
Scott McLarty, (202) 878-2112, scott@memorialblanket.org
Tariff policy imposes an extra expense on donations of hand-crafted Homeless Memorial Blankets from abroad
• Non-profit organizations must pay the high tariffs
• “We Will Remember” display of blankets: Sunday, Dec, 21, 2025 in downtown Denver, in front of the steps of the Denver City and County Building, 1437 Bannock Street and surrounding areas; more at https://www.coloradocoalition.org/blanketpartnership2025
WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump’s tariff policy is imposing an unwieldy extra expense on donations of hand-crafted blankets and quilts from abroad for people in the US who are experiencing homelessness. When organizations in the US accept donated blankets they must pay the taxes levied on the gifts destined for the most economically disadvantaged Americans, said organizers of the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project (https://memorialblanket.org).
The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project (https://memorialblanket.org), based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (http://www.coloradocoalition.org) are receiving handmade blankets and quilts from across the US and around the world for the fifth anniversary display — this year in Denver alongside the Denver community’s long-standing vigil on Sunday, Dec. 21.
“No tariff, no policy, no political change can prevent us from embodying love for those who are the most vulnerable. These blankets witness to the truth that every person is beloved,” said Marsha Roscoe, a deacon in the office of the Bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).
Trump ended the de minimis exemption after he imposed his 10 percent tariff on Australia, as generous Australian artisans recently discovered when they tried to mail their blankets to the US for the Denver display. Homeless Memorial Blanket Project anticipate similar tariffs when contributors from other countries attempt to mail their blankets.
More than 20 countries, including Australia, have suspended deliveries of parcels to the US that cost less than $800, after Trump’s July 20 executive order cancelling the de minimis exemption (https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-countries-suspending-postal-service-united-states-2119247). Some of the handmade blankets and quilts would carry a price tag of $1,000 or more if sold commercially.
The tariff constitutes a tax on organizations helping individuals and families without adequate housing.
“Every year, people around the world handcraft blankets to bring a shred of comfort and dignity in the midst of the tough reality of life without stable housing. But now, because of the tariffs, we’re being forced to pay simply to accept these gifts to distribute them to the very people in our communities who need them most,” said Max Donnelly, a volunteer with lived experience who has been with the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project since it began.
The tariff coincides with growing hostility expressed in the news media for people without homes and attempts by municipal public officeholders to expel them from their cities. On Sept. 10, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade proposed executing mentally ill homeless people. After public outrage, he apologized.
“There is no tariff on compassion. There is no barrier on love. There is no economic policy on seeing the humanity in others,” said Reverend Matthew Best, co-founder of the #MemorialBlanket Project and an ELCA pastor who runs health and dental clinics for folks living on the street.
“We Will Remember”
For the 36th year, community members will gather in front of the steps of the Denver City and County Building in Denver, Colorado to attend the “We Will Remember: Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil” (https://coloradocoalition.org/vigil).
After the display and vigil, the blankets and quilts will be donated to individuals and families in the Denver area who are in need of housing. Handmade blankets and quilts are already arriving from across the US as well as from Australia, Canada, and Germany.
Hosted by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, the candlelight vigil and name-reading ceremony pays tribute to neighbors who lived on the streets of the Denver metropolitan area and passed away during 2025. For many of these individuals, this public event will be the only memorial service honoring their lives.
According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach Report (https://nlihc.org/oor), Colorado has the 8th highest housing wage in the nation. The lack of affordable housing is the primary cause of homelessness in Colorado (https://www.coloradocoalition.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/COAffordableHousingCrisis_StrategicInvestmentReport_CCH_2023.pdf).
Donating handmade blankets and quilts
2025 marks the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project’s fifth year and the first time it has moved off the east coast. Last winter’s display took place at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 21, 2024. More than one thousand donated handmade blankets and quilts covered the lawn and were thereafter distributed to families and individuals without homes.
Organizers 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. Baby blankets are accepted as well.
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.
The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project is hosted by the Charles Bruce Foundation (https://charlesbrucefoundation.com), which is located in central Pennsylvania. The Dec. 21 display will be an arts installation by this nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
#memorialblanket
MORE INFORMATION
“Homeless Memorial Blanket Project and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless announce blanket display alongside long standing vigil in Denver on Dec. 21”
Press release, June 26, 2025
https://memorialblanket.org/homeless-memorial-blanket-project-and-colorado-coalition-for-the-homeless-announce-blanket-display-alongside-long-standing-vigil-in-denver-on-dec-21/
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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