Local Ministry Blankets of Love Going on 12 Years
Who would have imagined that an inmate’s request for “blankets of love” for her children at Christmas would be the beginning of hundreds of Blankets of Love being shared to communicate the love of Jesus? The desire of that mama’s heart was a seed that has borne good fruit in Douglas County Jail, several local communities and organizations, and around the country for the last 12 years. The blessings are not just restricted to those receiving blankets, but seem to fall on everyone involved!
Christmas is a difficult time for inmates, but one thing they look forward to is the opportunity to make fleece-tied blankets for loved ones. They can also choose an age-appropriate Bible, devotional, or other book, a Thrivent shirt, as well as write a card. Each blanket is embroidered with the recipient’s name and the message “You are never alone, Psalm 139.”
Blankets to Cover Local Charter School
When the principal at Kalon Prep Academy asked if we would would consider “blanketing” their 140 students this Christmas, dozens of volunteers spent hundreds of hours to make the daunting task a reality. Even a handful of adults in custody, who agreed that a place like Kalon could have kept them out of jail, rallied in the spirit of Christmas to make a dozen blankets for the students. Each blanket was embroidered with the reminder “You are never alone.”
Delivering Lasting Impact
Does it get much better than hearing than this?
- A 9 year-old granddaughter under adverse conditions fell asleep immediately after wrapping up in her new blanket
- A Kalon student was spotted crossing Broadway to go to work, wrapped in his blanket
- Another student returned to school in January wrapped in the blanket she received in December
- A girl sent a thank you note, saying she loves the blanket she received a few years ago from her dad while he was incarcerated
- The mother of an inmate who participated in the Blankets of Love program thanked Ardyce (Blankets of Love coordinator) over the phone, and spent time praying together as the mother confessed this could be her last Christmas due to having stage 4 cancer
- A young mother, upon receiving a blanket for her son, wrapped her arms around Ardyce, laid her head on her shoulder, and wept
These are just a few stories of how the Blankets of Love ministry has impacted so many, and there are so many more that go untold.
Why do we do this? To share God’s love with people of all ages who need to know they are loved, seen, and not forgotten. Our prayer is that they will feel warmed, comforted, safe, calmed and encouraged, and that some will even experience Jesus with skin on in a way that will forever change their lives!
Christmas is over, but there are still more blankets to be distributed to bless the Douglas County Car Care Program, children in hard places, and individuals in need whom law enforcement will encounter. And there are bags of fabric, recently purchased, to be processed and delivered in the name of Jesus, whenever and wherever He chooses. We will watch to see where He is working and join Him. Thank you to all who have played a part in blanketing people with love – it couldn’t have happened without you!
Blankets of Love is an ongoing program that is in need of help and support year round. If you are interested in helping tangibly or financially, please email dhoffman@regenerationcenter.org or give online here.