Blanketeens
the problem:
I live in a community based heavily upon our local hospital and medical center, the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in the sweetest place on Earth, Hershey, Pennsylvania! The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has one of the best Cancer hospitals in the country, and the pediatric Cancer program has a supporting program to assist children suffering through cancer and their families. By making and donating blankets to the young children with cancer, I am able to provide these children with comfort, security, and love in a time when they need those things the most.
Although the blankets first benefitted the sick, the blankets are now being created for children in need of support in our own local community. The blankets are given to children in need of some extra care and love or high school graduates who had to overcome many obstacles to graduate. Through our local supportive organization, Lower Dauphin Communities That Care, we are able to reach out to children and donate the blankets and a book to children and teens alike who are in need of love and support from their own local community.
vital stats:
people impacted:
45people involved:
2why it's important:
Blanketeens is a project that allows teenagers to make and donate blankets to children who need support and care. Although the blankets are simple, they mean so much to a child who falls asleep every night without their own security blanket. As I still have my very first blanket or "blankie", it feels wonderful to be able to give other children a blanket that they may still take to bed with them even years later.
the plan of action:
The first and most important of steps is, of course, fundraising, as it takes about $20 to make one double tie fleece blanket. Next is shopping for blanket material, which requires negotiating with local fabric stores and looking for bargains on fleece material. After buying the material, all that's left to do it cut and tie the edges of the blanket, which creates the final product! I feel that this project has made a huge impact, as we donated over 40 blankets. Those blankets may offer security and comfort to children in heavy emotional need. The blankets then are distributed through the Communities Tha Care "Books on Board" bookmobile, which is a library bus that travels throughout our community to allow children to take out as many books as they could every imagine reading. The bookmobile is often full of children every day, and the blankets will mean so much to them.
how you can get involved:
Others can help in many ways. The project's most obvious need is fundraising to purchase the material. Volunteers to create the blankets are also needed. The great thing about this project is its freedom and independence. The blankets can be created anywhere and any time and given to any person in need. Others can start "Blanketeen" projects in their own communities, making ten blankets or even one hundred blankets! There are children in every area of the world that need comfort, and what better way to give them that comfort and support than a blanket and a book?!
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Comments
This sounds like a really awesome project! I can only imagine how happy your blankets make the children who receive them. If you haven't already, you should apply for a grant! (Go to http://www.dosomething.org/grants)
Hey, thanks so much! I definitely will be planning on applying for a grant, because fundraising is sooo much harder in this economy!
Thanks for posting this project. I am including it in my leadership lessons for ideas kids can do to make a difference.
This is so cool. I'm definately in. And maybe I could teach cancer patients to knit, thats my speciality!
this project sounds great! keep it up!