This year was a special treat to round out our 2022. We had a Bee on December 10th with new friends at Towerpoint RV Resort in Mesa. This was our first Bee at Towerpoint and our hosts did a fabulous job with setup and provided a wonderful lunch. We hope to return again next year!
During our lunch break, President Sylvia Saffell shared an email from the parent of a blanket recipient. It touched our hearts and we want to share it with you here:
Hi there! I am a foster and adoptive parent. I just want to thank you for your donations of blankets for our kids. They are so precious and absolutely cherished.
We had a foster son who was very medically fragile. He had two blankets from you guys that were gifted to him. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 17, but he cuddled with his blanket until the very end. We were able to bring him home from the hospital so he could pass peacefully at home, with familiar people, item/smells. His blankets were right there with him. My kids still use them as a peaceful reminder of our sweet boy, and also find comfort in these blankets. Thank you for all you do. It is appreciated more than you know.
<reply after requesting permission to share her story> Of course! I would love for them to know that what you all do matters. I just received some more for our other foster children, and I was in tears picking them up! I know the impact they have. Thank you again. They are so beautiful and are an incredible gift.
I probably should’ve put a tissue warning at the beginning, but the tears turned happy at the end. And it’s stories like this that keep us going and keep us grateful for all of you who make this happen. Sylvia also shared a recent incredible achievement. On December 6, 2022, AZB4K distribution volunteer Nina Williams, delivered our 150,000th blanket to Banner Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa. Yes, that was 150,000 blankets!!! It’s incredible and deserves an article all its own, so look for that coming soon.
Volunteer Spotlight: One of our new friends at the Bee was Joan McMullin. You’ll see her in the slideshow below, pressing strips of binding. Joan and her husband, Merle, are from Manly, Iowa and have been coming to Mesa for eight seasons. They have a daughter and two granddaughters back in Iowa. Joan and two friends joined the Bee from Greenfield Village, where they first heard about AZ Blankets 4 Kids. Joan started sewing 12 years ago when she took a beginners quilt class. She has been making quilts and sewing other projects since then. Her favorite parts of the quilting process are piecing and binding. It was very nice to meet you, Joan, and thank you for letting us shine our spotlight on you!
There are two highlights of every Bee that our volunteers always look forward to. One is the ginormous and gorgeous door prize basket that one lucky volunteer will win, and the other is our 50/50 raffle. The lucky winner of the door prize basket was none other than our lovely Towerpoint hostess, Helen Clark. Congratulations Helen, and many thanks for all your efforts in putting this wonderful day together for us. Our 50/50 raffle winner was Ellen Beauclaire of Towerpoint as well. Congrats and thank you for spending the day with us.
Bee by the Numbers
56 attendees
56 happy tummies after a delicious lunch!
82 blankets donated at the door
25 blankets completed at the Bee
107 total blankets ready to deliver to our kiddos!
I miss you all! I haven’t found a quilting group that holds a candle to AZBlankets4kids in either of the two states I have lived in since leaving AZ.
Aww, you’re so sweet. It’s good to hear from you, Sylvia! Wishing you a happy and healthy new year.