For immediate release: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Contact
Pat LaMarche epicjourney10@gmail.com
Scott McLarty memorialblanketmedia@gmail.com
Press conference: Homeless Memorial Blanket Project to honor first responders, June 3 in Carlisle, Pa.
Area fire, police, and ambulance crews will join Carlisle Mayor Sean Shultz and #MemorialBlanket volunteers at the Louther Street Fire Station featuring emergency responders who are natural allies of people without adequate housing
• When: Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 10 a.m. ET
• Where: Union Fire Company Station 41, 35 West Louther Street, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013
• Items needed in advance of the #MemorialBlanket display in New York City on Dec. 21: hand-crafted blankets and quilts, necessities for tote bags to be distributed to individuals and families without homes; more information at https://memorialblanket.org
Carlisle, Pa. — Homeless Memorial Blanket Project will hold a press conference on Wednesday, June 3 at the historic Union Fire Company Station 41 on West Louther Street in Carlisle, Pennsylvania at 10 a.m. ET. The press conference will feature emergency first responders and other allies of people experiencing homelessness.
The press conference is taking place in advance of the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project’s display of hand-crafted blankets and quilts at Stuyvesant Square Park in New York City on December 21, 2026.
Blanket Project organizers have purchased 1000 backpack-style tote bags which will be available for free to any person, persons, school group or organization that would like to fill the bag with necessities. Organizers are hopeful that the process of considering the needs individuals face will help spread a greater understanding among children, adults and elders who are fortunate to have homes.
Each bag has a tag that reminds the volunteers that they need to consider carefully what they’d like to have, should they find themselves experiencing homelessness. People are asked to consider the question, “What would you hope you could carry on your back?”
People who take the backpacks to fill for others can find information on the MemorialBlanket.org website that explains when and how to return the filled bags to organizers who will in turn get them into the hands of first responders.
Along with Blanket Project organizers, representatives of services that provide emergency aid will speak at the press conference, including Carlisle Mayor Sean Shultz, firefighters, law enforcement officers, borough co-responders, and others who help those dealing with loss of housing, domestic violence, hunger and food insecurity, and healthcare emergencies — growing crises as more people face economic distress throughout the US.
Each year thousands of volunteers from across the US and around the world create colorful and creative handmade blankets and quilts which are displayed as an art exhibit at a chosen high-profile location on December 21. Last winter’s display took place in Denver, Colorado.
The Blanket Project is inviting those with skills in creating blankets and quilts to donate their creations. Following the display, the donated blankets and quilts are delivered to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
“We chose the display site in Manhattan to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which deprived many New Yorkers of their homes and livelihoods and required the immediate help of first responders — some of whom lost their lives or suffered health crises because of the attack,” said Pat LaMarche, co-founder of the
Homeless Memorial Blanket Project.
In addition to the distribution of blankets and quilts on December 21, the tote bags filled with necessities will be made available for people experiencing homelessness. Examples include clean socks, water bottle, hand sanitizer, can opener, granola bars, bandages, tissues, ziplock bags for important documents.
Blanket Project organizers are currently distributing the tote bags to sponsors, volunteers, and donors to fill with vital items, with a request to return the bags by December so they can be given to services and organizations which in turn can offer them as emergency kits when delivering assistance to people who have lost their homes.
The “Spaceman Climbing Building” drawstring tote bags are being produced by Raygun Shirts in Iowa and are regularly priced at $10 (https://www.rayguncustom.com/collections/homeless-remembrance-blanket-project/products/hrbp-spaceman-climbing-building-drawstring-tote-bag).
Donating handmade blankets and quilts
2026 marks the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project’s sixth year. Last winter’s display took place in Denver, Colorado, on December 21, 2025, followed by distribution of the blankets and quilts to those in need.
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 provides 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 to participate in Times Square Earth Day event in New York City, addressing food insecurity on April 22”
Press release, April 15, 2026
https://memorialblanket.org/homeless-memorial-blanket-project-to-participate-in-times-square-earth-day-event-in-new-york-city/
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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