Blankets of Hope

A friend of mine, who was a tremendous help in the Little Dresses for Africa project, has branched out on her own. She has started "Blankets of Hope".  If you enjoyed making the dresses and you have some extra time or a few extra dollars please help Colleen with this cause.

Here is more about the project from Colleen:

Dear Family and Friends,

Hope you are all doing well!

As many of you know, I participated in a campaign with Little Dresses for Africa. A group of friends and I sewed over 125 dresses and I am happy to say they are currently en route to Africa.   This all came about after watching a segment on NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams. I was moved by a ‘Making the Difference’ segment about how one woman returned from a trip to Africa and began to make dresses for girls across the continent. As of today, over 175,000 dresses have put smiling faces on many these young ladies.

My friend Devon and I discussed how great it would be if we could make a contribution to this exceptional cause. Devon coordinated a drive and with the support of many like you, we were able to accomplish this goal.

At first I was nervous to participate — it had been years since the last time I had sewn. But just like how I jumped back on a bike recently, it all came back. I soon found myself shopping for a sewing machine, fabrics and diving right-in. Fifteen dresses later, I am now wondering what other projects I can take on to make a sincere impact in someone’s life.

This project inspired me to continue these efforts so I reached out to Open Arms Ministries in Mexico, where I sponsor a beautiful two-year old girl. At first, I thought I could continue my dress-making marathon and send dresses to Mexico; however, after several email exchanges with the director, Heidi, we decided what the ministry needed more, were blankets for the boys and girls.

I came up with a somewhat simple idea of a fleece and flannel blanket. I made two size-one for the older children and one for the younger children. Heidi loved the blankets and has asked that I make 50 (Yes, 50 blankets).

Now, as most of you know, I work 50+ hours a week, so how will I get this accomplished?  With prayers, a little luck, long nights and support from my family and friends.

If you would like to be part of this project and wrap a child in love, I would appreciate donations such as gift cards to Jo Ann Fabrics or other monetary donations. The cost for the materials for each blanket is about $9.00.

If you would like to sew some blankets let me know and I will provide you with the directions.  You can choose to make a small or large blanket(s) for a boy or girl between the ages of 2 and 14.  I have the names of the children at the center so we can add a personalized tag to each of the blankets so that each child knows that their blanket was made just for them.

Below you will find links for additional information on what I have touched upon in my email. I hope you will join me in making a small difference in a child’s life.

http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/

www.newlifeinfo.com

http://openarmsmexico.org/blog/

Additionally, I have attached a couple of photos from the dresses for Little Dresses for Africa and photos of the blankets for "Blankets of Hope"

 

I appreciate you taking time to read my email and want to thank you in advance for the support you can provide. Remember, even the smallest gift will make a difference.  Just like those chain emails we all receive, please fee free to forward this to your friends and family, after all Rachel O'Neil, creator of Dresses for Africa never dreamed that she would send 175,000 dresses and counting to Africa so yes you too, can make a difference.

Sincerely yours,

Colleen

If you would like to help please send a comment or an email for further information