Giving comfort to those in need
Student clubs lead blanket-making session to help homeless shelter
The Community Initiatives and Volunteer Involvement Club (CIVIC) and Craft Club at Wheaton College teamed up on Saturday, May 8, to make colorful tie blankets to donate to the homeless shelter Father Bill’s and MainSpring in Brockton, Mass.
About 15 students spread out in front of Cole Memorial Chapel to engage in this creative enterprise for good the weekend before finals.
“The blankets are solid on one side and patterned fabric on the other side. We cut strips on each side of the blankets and fabric that were about an inch wide and then tied the fabric to the blanket. The blankets ended up being about 4-feet wide by 6-feet long, so the perfect size for an adult or child,” said event organizer and Craft Club treasurer Jillian Hanson ’22, a double major in mathematics and computer science.
The idea to craft tie blankets originated from sociology and psychology double major Kimberlie Dugan ’22, who is the CIVIC co-president. She identified this project as a tangible way for students to give back while adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols.
In total, the students completed five blankets and purchased an additional 20, which they gave to Father’s Bill and Mainspring this week.
