It's amazing how quickly time has passed this year. Our incredible group of volunteers have been working all year creating one of a kind lap blankets and shawls for donation. We are planning to announce the 2019 Warm Wishes Project recipient in the next few weeks so please stay tuned!
We hope that 2019 is off to a great start for you! Our group has started to work towards our 2019 Warm Wishes Project but first, we wanted to provide an update on 2018. A group of volunteers delivered the blankets and shawls to the residents at Chateau Park Long Term Care Home on December 29th. We were warmly welcomed into the home and the staff working were a tremendous help to ensure everyone received an item. Many residents joined for us for the entire time that we were at the home and many shared stories about their own past or present experience knitting or crocheting items. It became a social event and that is what makes delivering the items so heartwarming. Thank you to all that contributed to the 2018 project. Your items were truly appreciated by the residents. We will announce the home for 2019's project in the fall. We are hoping to be able to provide Warm Wishes to one of the larger homes in the area. If you are interested in helping out with our projects, please send an email to: [email protected] Our group was able to provide some beautifully crocheted slippers and neck warmers to two local women's shelters this month, in addition to, the lap blankets and shawls that are ready for delivery to Chateau Park Long Term Care Home.
It didn't take long for the group to jump into action and crochet these items once we received the requests! Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers for your on-going commitment to our projects. Your donations are greatly appreciated!
We delayed choosing a home until the fall in order to ensure we would be able to provide an item for every resident. Thank you for patience!
We hope that 2018 is off to a great start for you! We are excited to be working towards our project for 2018. But, before we move on to that, we wanted to provide an update on the success at Banwell Gardens. A group of volunteers went to Banwell Gardens on December 16th to deliver the lap blankets and shawls. We were able to display the items on tables and the residents chose their own gift which made the process much more personal. The staff expressed how beneficial it was for the residents to meet with us and pick their items rather than just having them dropped off. It became a wonderful pre-Christmas event for all involved! One resident made sure to gather her friends in the home and bring them to where we were set up so that they did not miss out. The residents and staff were amazed at the beautiful items we provided. We were also able to give each resident a unique hand made Christmas card created by students from Hetherington Public School. There were plenty of smiling faces and as we were packing up to leave, many residents were already using their new lap blankets. We are so thankful to have such a great group of people coming together to make this happen! Thank you for your time, dedication, creativity and donations for the Warm Wishes 2017 Project! We will provide an update on the plans for 2018 in the near future. Cards created by Hetherington Public School students Volunteers getting ready to greet the residents
We are excited to share that we have recently surpassed the number of items required for Banwell Gardens!
We will be able to provide a unique item for every resident residing in the home. We have co-ordinated with the home staff and will be handing out items to the residents in mid December. We wish to thank everyone who has helped us reach this goal! We are now working towards our 2018 project. The home for 2018 will be chosen and announced by January 31, 2018 so please stay tuned. Our volunteers have been busy creating a variety of unique items for Banwell Gardens which will be delivered to the residents in mid December. Fidget Lap Blankets Last year, we were able to provide one of these to Brouillette and it was a success. Our goal for this year was to provide several of these to Banwell Gardens and as we move forward in the coming years. Fidget blankets can help relieve stress, provide a stimulating experience and may potentially reduce agitation, especially those diagnosed with dementia. Arm Chair Organizers and Walker Bags Arm chair organizers for remote control, magazine etc. and walker bags were big hits in 2016 so we are planning to provide more of these this year. Unique items, stitches and patterns The bulk of the items we donate are blankets but we also provide scarves and shawls. Assistance requested
We are very close to having all items for Banwell Gardens! We are still collecting donated items and we work all year towards having items for the next upcoming project. If you would like to participate, please send us an email to: [email protected] Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Spring! Even though Spring has just begun, our volunteers have been busy crafting blankets for Project #2! Currently, we have approximately 80 blankets out of the 142 that we need for Banwell Gardens for delivery in December. Common Questions and Answers We are often asked questions in regards to the ideal size, type of yarn and so on for our blankets. Here are some tips for creating lap blankets: Size: 36x45 inches is a good size; give or take a few inches. Residents may choose to use their blankets while sitting in a wheelchair, recliner or for an extra layer when in bed so the size you decide on can vary to a degree. Yarn: Acrylic yarn that is machine washable is a good choice. Please do not use wool as it will shrink and a resident may be allergic. Sturdy rather than delicate is a good choice as homes use industrial washing machines. We use a variety of colors and patterns to help distinguish each blanket. This helps the home keep track of which blanket belongs to which resident. Homes also label blankets with names tags. Stitches: Some commonly used stitches are the single or double crochet, v-stitch, shell stitch, granny stitch and waffle stitch but any stitch which is not too delicate would be appropriate. Additional tips: Please do not add ties to the blanket. The intention with adding ties is to keep the blanket in place, however, having a blanket tied to a wheelchair will restrict a resident's movement. Therefore, we do not add ties to our items. Pockets are useful for keeping small items like tissues handy or for keeping hands warm and cozy. If adding pockets for hands, a kangaroo pocket or placing the pockets on an angle are good options. To determine whether the pockets will be comfortable, lay your blanket on your lap and adjust the pockets to a comfortable angle before attaching them. There are many free patterns available on the internet. Most importantly, be creative and enjoy crafting your unique blanket! We are pleased to announce our second annual project! Our goal is to provide a handcrafted lap blanket, shawl or other item for each resident residing at Banwell Gardens. Banwell Gardens is home to 142 long term care residents in the neighbourhood of Tecumseh, Ontario. If you would like to help out with this project please contact us by email: [email protected] Thank you for your support! |