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BLANKET DRIVE TO OFFER HELP TO CAMBODIAN ORPHANS
The Volunteer Center teams up with Warm Blankets Orphan Care
to seek 4,000 blankets from the public for needy
overseas children
The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago is partnering with Warm Blankets Orphan Care International to bring the comfort of a cozy blanket to thousands of needy orphans abroad.
The goal of Blanket Drive 2005 is to collect 4,000 blankets or the funds to purchase them. The Blanket Drive will reach its first milestone during National Volunteer Week (April 17-23), when a team from Warm Blankets departs for Cambodia to lead a Christian retreat for more than 1,200 orphans and caregivers. "Our organization was touched when we heard the stories of the orphans and widows whose lives have been changed by the Warm Blankets effort," said Mary Fitzgibbons, Executive Director of The Volunteer Center, a nonprofit agency in Arlington Heights that recruits and refers volunteers on behalf of local organizations, including Warm Blankets.
"After the outpouring of generosity following the December tsunami in South Asia started to trail off, we knew that there had to be a way to let people know about the need for ongoing support in that region of the world," Fitzgibbons said. "Blanket donations meet a real material need and also project a caring image that captures the spirit of Warm Blankets."
In a similar drive last year, small airline blankets that were donated by United Airlines along with other blankets from the public were collected by The Volunteer Center and brought over to children in South Asia by the Warm Blankets organization.
"The blankets were put to good use," said Craig Muller, Executive Director of Warm Blankets, who personally helped to deliver the blankets to orphans in the area. "The children like to use the blankets as towels or wrap themselves in them to keep off the morning chill."
All blankets received by April 15 will accompany the Warm Blankets travelers on their journey. Additional donations will be accepted after that date to help Warm Blankets' mission trips later in the year.
Those wishing to donate blankets for the drive can do so by bringing them to The Volunteer Center, 2121 S. Goebbert Rd., Arlington Heights, at the north end of the District 214 Administration Complex.
For more information, contact The Volunteer Center at 847-228-1320 or visit the organization's Web site at www.volunteerinfo.net.
About The Volunteer Center
The Volunteer Center helps volunteers of all ages find rewarding opportunities that make a difference in the communities they serve. The Center, based in Arlington Heights, serves 54 Cook and DuPage county communities. Anyone interested in volunteering, or nonprofits that would like help with their volunteer efforts, are encouraged to call 847-228-1320 or visit The Volunteer Center's website at www.volunteerinfo.net.
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