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Thanksgiving came a day early as young patients admitted to UPMC Williamsport received new sources of comfort, courtesy of Children's Blankets of Love, on Wednesday.
"We're a nonprofit, out of North Carolina, that collects new blankets for children in the hospital, and my husband, Vick, is from Williamsport, so this is part of him giving back to the community," said Barb Marchioni, president and founder of the organization.
"At his suggestion, I reached out to the hospital," she added. "He never forgets where he grew up."
Marchioni presented the pediatric unit with 70 new blankets.
"This is our first donation to Williamsport, but it will not be our last," Marchioni said.
The project began in 2018, as Marchioni spoke with her twin grandsons, who were 8 years old at the time, about how fortunate they were, compared to many other families.
"I want them to be involved in community activities and give back to others," Marchioni explained.
From this lesson, the idea began to take shape for a "Christmas project that would last all year, and we knew this was our project to conquer," Marchioni said.
The first year's campaign consisted of one box placed at a salon in Wilmington, which netted 350 blankets. The Marchioni family then donated those to hospitals in the surrounding area.
In subsequent years, the organization has partnered with the The Knights of Columbus, resulting in a continued rise in donations.
"It's just exploded," Marchioni said. "It's such a need and it's a feel-good thing because when you deliver those blankets, we do not see the children, but the medical personnel and the nurses, especially, that work with these children, they just can't believe what a cuddly blanket will do for a sick child."
"There are a lot of children in the hospital that are critically sick, and they stay there for months. And, the parents or relatives are not always there because they can't afford to be at the hospital full-time, so a warm fuzzy blanket they can hold onto is the one tangible possession they can take comfort in."
The organization has seen an outpouring of support from the community.
"We have different blanket drives, and people are just thrilled to give," Marchioni said, "and it's not an expensive project."
"You can buy a nice blanket for $10, so that's not it's not something you have to save $200 to buy."
"In North Carolina, we have several children that have been involved in fundraising blanket drives and it's so nice to see children helping children especially," she adds.
"Since conception, we have donated more than 2,000 blankets to various hospitals."
Children's Blankets of Love has a wide reach that stretches far beyond the United States.
"We have sent blankets to Panama, and we're sending some to the Philippines next month," Marchioni said. "And we're so excited to do it."
The organization offers several ways to donate through its website, including purchasing blankets through registries on Amazon, Wal-Mart or Target. It also offers the option of making a cash donation through PayPal.
Per hospital codes, all blankets donated must be brand new and housed in their original packaging.
To get involved with Children's Blankets of Love or to make a donation, visit childrensblanketsoflove.org.