“Children who are being placed in a foster home usually enter foster care with only a few personal items thrown into a trash bag. We wanted these vulnerable children to transition to their new home with their full dignity as children of God.”

Catherine from the Christ Child Society of Columbus, shown above on a recent visit to our workshop to pick up blankets, confirmed the importance of the duffle bags they provide, which include a handmade MVOB blanket donated by our Blanket Angels. 

The Society’s Foster Hope Program intends:
— to gift each child with a duffle bag to transport their personal items to their foster home and containing age-appropriate books, activities and other items that have been personalized for them, together with a special blanket from My Very Own Blanket and a full-sized pillow with a monogrammed pillowcase;

— to support the fostering family by providing a basket containing a gift card for a dinner through Door Dash, tickets for a family outing, family games and activities, snacks and other helpful items; and
​
— to support the fostering community by hosting a party for the foster families and foster children served by the agencies we partner with. These parties are designed to give the foster families and foster children an opportunity to meet and have fun with those who are in a similar situation.  

We are very pleased to partner with this new program serving children entering foster care in the Columbus area.

We were thrilled and thankful to receive this story from Alison, fourth grade teacher at St. Mary's School in Delaware, Ohio.  

A Little Excitement Can Go a Long Way
Back in December, my 4th graders were doing some research on organizations that help out the needy. We came across one organization with a button that said, “Click Here to Donate.” The whole class erupted in the cheer, “Click the button!”
   
I told them we couldn’t donate unless we had money to give, and immediately kids were shouting out ideas of how to raise money. We decided to do a bake sale, and after doing some personal research the kids decided that My Very Own Blanket was the organization that they wanted to support. Some of the kids in my class are part of foster families, and they felt such a personal connection to this organization.
​   
The next few weeks were filled with planning, preparing, making posters, researching recipes, and more. We ran a bake sale at each weekly Fish Fry at St. Mary’s during Lent. Each week kids baked treats, came to the Fish Fry, and greeted people from our church with smiles and information about My Very Own Blanket!
   
We were amazed by people’s generosity to us! After 6 weeks of bake sales, the kids were amazed by their grand total of $1,135 raised! They are so happy to give this money to support kids like them who need love and care!

We were very pleased recently to receive a special quilt, made by Becky in honor of Jean Spero, a 100-year-old quilter and former Chair of Otterbein University’s Department of Human Ecology. Becky made the quilt with cotton fabric from Jean’s supply.

Read the story in Becky's words below.
​
Thank you for your reception of the blanket I made in honor of the 100 year old, Jean Spero. She retired from Otterbein in 1991 after serving 13 years as an Assistant Professor of Home Economics and Chair of the Department of Human Ecology. One of her lasting contributions is the Otterbein Historic Costume Collection that she founded in 1985, the first pieces of the collection belonging to her own grandmother dating back to the first years of the 20th century. Jean sews every day and makes jackets. She has made many appliquéd bed quilts.
I've attached a picture of Jean in her sewing room. She has allowed me to come in and get whatever fabric I want (notice I didn't say need!). The blanket I made in her honor was from cotton fabric from her supply. I hope to continue to make more. I also attached a picture of Jean when I showed her the 'very own blanket' and how I was honoring her 100th birthday.
She's pretty incredible to me. She lives in her home alone, doesn't need a walker, reads, buys all fabric online, plants geraniums from seed each year.
Thank you for your encouragement and welcoming me on Friday. Let me know if you have any further questions.
Thanks for what you do through your dedicating and comfort to the children.
With regards, Becky

Jean Spero in her home sewing room.

Thank you to the Student Council at Cherrington Elementary School, Westerville, for making 17 blankets to give to children living in foster care!   Click the images below to see larger photos.  ​