FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 18, 2022
Homeless Memorial Blanket Project
https://memorialblanket.org
CONTACT
Scott McLarty, 202-878-2112, scott@memorialblanket.org
Salvation Army women’s group in Greenville leads South Carolina in national movement to craft and contribute blankets for families without homes
• Photos and video:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1773639309545135/permalink/3094310804144639/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1773639309545135/permalink/3087066601535726/
• People across the US with sewing, knitting, crocheting, and quilting skills are invited to join the project: Find a state at https://memorialblanket.org
WASHINGTON, DC — The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project is thanking the Salvation Army in Greenville, South Carolina for leading the state in the nationwide effort to create and compile homemade blankets for distribution to unhoused individuals and families.
Participants in the project are using their sewing, knitting, crocheting, and quilting skills to make blankets to be contributed to people without homes.
“Between working on the blanket during our Thursday night Women’s Ministries and ladies working on the blankets at home, we have already collected 14 completed blankets, with several more still in progress,” said Captain Sarah Quinn, Officer for Congregational Life at the Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Kroc Church Women’s Ministries learned about the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project through Rosie Kapp, one of its long-time members.
“Rosie Kapp came back from vacation telling us about this amazing effort that her daughter was a part of and encouraged us to get involved with it,” said Capt. Quinn. “Initially, she was thinking of the knitters and crocheters in our group contributing to the project. But as we started talking about it more, we realized that all of the ladies in our women’s group could get involved if we made no-sew fleece blankets.”
The Women’s Ministries set a date in March to learn how to make the blankets. Ms. Kapp made arrangements for the group to meet virtually with Pat LaMarche and Chris Kapp, national organizers of the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project.
“We were blessed with access to an enormous amount of fleece that same day. One of our ladies had been up late into the night trying to find affordable fleece for this project. The next morning, still discouraged from not having any luck in her search, she dropped a family member off at work at a local thrift store and was shocked to learn that store had recently received 70-plus industrial sized bolts of fleece from a company that had just gone out of business. We were able to get four bolts at a steal. From that we have been making our blankets for this project,” said Capt. Quinn.
Photos and a video of the blanket makers can be viewed at and downloaded from the Salvation Army Greenville Kroc Church’s Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1773639309545135/permalink/3094310804144639/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1773639309545135/permalink/3087066601535726/
“I love working with Rose Kapp’s daughter, Chris, on this project,” said Pat LaMarche, founder of the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project. “Last year, she field-produced our live podcast and one of her daughters ran errands for us late into the night as we assembled blankets. It’s only fitting that her mom is now involved with bringing on a new state to participate.”
“We hope this encourages other people to contact their out of state family members and bring them on board,” said Ms. LaMarche.
The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project is preparing a display of blankets to cover 9,000 square feet of the West Lawn of the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Dec. 21, 2022.
The project has participants in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The most active states are currently South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, and Montana.
Each state is being asked to make at least 100 blankets, providing ten for the Capitol Lawn display and donating another 90 or more to outreach programs in their area. Typical blankets dimensions are 35″ x 80″ and 60″ x 80″ with a variety of fabrics, fibers, and colors.
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.
Anyone interested in participating in this project can sign up for their state at https://memorialblanket.org.
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
Press release: Schoolchildren in Maine craft and contribute blankets for families without homes
March 28, 2022
https://memorialblanket.org/?page_id=494
Press release: Homeless Memorial Blanket Project, providing homemade blankets for individuals and families without homes, plans display on the West Lawn of the Capitol in DC on Dec. 21
March 16, 2022
https://memorialblanket.org/?page_id=417
Nonprofit Seeks Artisans Across US to Help the Unhoused
Daily Kos, February 6, 2022
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/2/6/2078926/-Nonprofit-Seeks-Artisans-Across-US-to-Help-the-Unhoused
Maine students quilt together compassion and calculations
News Center Maine, April 13, 2022
https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/maine-students-quilt-together-compassion-and-calculations-homeless-remembrance-blanket-project/97-30d65d21-79b2-48b7-88f1-3915f944058a
Maine students make handmade quilts for homeless people
The students at Wentworth School in Scarborough are joining a nationwide project
WMTW News, April 1, 2022
https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-students-handmade-quilts-homeless/39609030
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