Message from the President

You saw the headlines early this week—record cold across the U.S., potentially one of the coldest holiday seasons ever.

It makes me want to light a fire in my fireplace and watch the snow fall from the comfort of my warm home in the woods.

But it makes the Blanket Brigade of Berrien County want to do something very different. They, of course, want to make more blankets.

But I’m getting ahead of the story. Let’s back up a bit.

The year was 2012. Becky Laney’s father was dying. To ensure her father’s comfort, Becky bought him a simple blanket. During the last few weeks of his life, the blanket provided warmth to her father and occasionally to family members visiting him. After he passed, the blanket provided a poignant and comforting reminder of the dear family member they had lost.

That simple blanket is what inspired the Blanket Brigade. Founded and run by Becky, the nonprofit organization is committed to seeing that hospice patients in and around Berrien County, including those at the Merlin and Carolyn Hanson Hospice Center, receive a hand-made, heart-felt gift of a blanket.

With the help of Key Clubbers, Girl Scouts, high schoolers, church groups, and other volunteers, the Blanket Brigade has been busy over the past few years making special blankets for those nearing the end of their lives.

The organization purchases supplies from a local fabric store and up to 50 volunteers spend half a day each month making blankets. The time spent together also gives Becky an opportunity to talk about dying, grieving, hospice care, volunteering, and taking care good care of our neighbors.

And each month, like Christmas elves, the volunteers drop off a new batch of blankets to Hospice at Home and the Hanson Hospice Center. Attached to each blanket is a special card signed by the young volunteers. To date, the Brigade has delivered nearly 1,400 blankets!

All around Lakeland, and especially this time of year, there are heart-warming stories about generous giving. What makes these stories even more meaningful is that they are not about individuals giving to their family members. They are about people giving to individuals they hardly know or don't know at all. Many of these stories are about members of the Lakeland team taking care of others.

But this is a story about volunteers in our community helping us take even better care of the precious souls entrusted to our service as they near the end of their lives. Thank you so much Blanket Brigade, for all you do to keep your neighbors warm and cozy.