We missed getting together with you on Saturday, for our Bee at Sunland Springs Village. If you happened to check in with us via Facebook, you may have seen our post for a Virtual Bee. We invited everyone to show us what they were working on. If you shared photos/comments/thumbs up, we appreciate it and hope you’ll be back soon. If you missed it, we invite you to visit the post now and share what’s under your needle.
If you are signed up to receive our emails, you may have already seen this letter. If you have a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a leisurely scroll through these updates and some suggestions to fill your quarantine calendar.
Hello Friends,
Let’s get the bad news over with first. At this time, we are not accepting blanket donations. Many of our recipient agencies are either closed or not accepting blankets. We will send updates out through e-mail, on our website, and on our Facebook page, as the situation changes with this pandemic.
On March 30, 2020, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, issued an Executive Order to Stay Home, Stay Healthy, and Stay Connected. We can do that!
How are you doing? Are you hanging in there? We sure do miss hanging out with you, but we can absolutely stay connected. In these times of physical distancing, we will need to connect socially more than ever before. Let’s support one another by picking up the phone and calling, texting, or video chatting with those we hold dear.
And because we hold you dear, we ask that you connect with us too! Snap a photo that shows us all the wonderful ways you’re using this time. Let us see what’s under your needle. Give a shout out to all the other fabric collectors who are finding hidden treasure in closets and cubbies long forgotten. Share directly to our Facebook page, or e-mail your photos and stories to info@azblankets4kids.com (with consent for us to share on our website and/or Facebook page), and we’ll keep those connections going throughout our community.
While our bees and blanket distribution are paused, what we are not pausing, is our dedication to our mission of providing comfort blankets to seriously ill and traumatized children throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area. What we are not pausing, is our hands and hearts, working in service of others. We are not pausing our needles, our sewing machines, or our creativity. We are not pausing our contributions to the communities we live in and serve.
Many of you have heard of the campaign to provide masks to our health service personnel. Here is a link to an article from CNN, with more information if you would like to join the cause.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/us/sewing-groups-masks-coronavirus-wellness-trnd/index.html
Makers are the most resilient group of people I know. Working together, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.
We know many of our sewing groups were affected by the sudden closure of activity spaces in their communities. Many winter visitors are extending their stay or returned early to their summer homes. Wherever you are, we hope this finds you home and safe.
If you would like to use this time to benefit AZ Blankets 4 Kids, here are a few links to check out. If you’re organizing and using scraps from your fabric stash, check out these two scrap buster articles with links to our quick and easy patterns.
https://azblankets4kids.com/2019/09/15/use-up-those-scraps/ and
https://azblankets4kids.com/2019/10/25/use-up-those-scraps-part-2/
We always have a shortage of teen size blankets, especially for boys. If your stash has some teen friendly prints, check out this article and link to our pattern.
https://azblankets4kids.com/2019/12/27/sew-big-for-our-teens/
If you haven’t visited our Pattern page yet, this is a perfect time to browse. Maybe you’ll find something new and wonderful to make for our kiddos.
https://azblankets4kids.com/category/pattern/
Although this pandemic is bringing out the worst in some (toilet paper and food hoarding), we’ve also witnessed more kindness, patience, compassion and gratitude for each other. Let’s do our best to keep calm and sew on. And keep socially connecting. We’re all walking around with tiny computers in our pockets. Let’s use them to hold each other up, and cheer each other on.
We are immeasurably grateful for all of you. We’re sending virtual hugs and much love. Stay home and be well.
AZ Blankets 4 Kids
Board Members
When asked why I volunteer I often reply that I get as much or more than those we are helping. Times like this make me realize how much I get from volunteering. I get education-everyone is so willing to share tips and teach. I get friedship-some of my most cherished friends I have met through the bees. I get socialization – the bees are more than just work. It’s a time to chat, share stories, provide and receive support for our hard times. Share stories of joy, success, and good times. I miss you all and am looking forward to the time we can bee (not a typo) together again.
Sandy we miss you too! We are also looking forward to being past the isolation and being able to get together again in person. We value your friendship and spirit of volunteerism. Please stay well,and we will see you on the other side!