I have donated quilts to Project Linus and Quilts for Kids for several years now. And was wondering about donating lap quilts to local nursing homes. Since families usually provide for family members I wasn't sure if donated quilts would be wanted. (?) Has anyone donated quilts to nursing homes?
Were they appreciative of your quilts? Thanks for comments.

It depends on the nursing home, and the clients that reside there. Some are well off with lots of family members, and others are alone, with no visitors at all. I deliver Project Linus blankets to our local hospitals. I have often been asked by the nurses in ER if I could bring in some adult blankets for the seniors who are brought into the ER. Many of them are not dressed warmly, and are cold and in need of a nice blanket or quilt.

I send them to Afghanistan. Kids who run the risk of stepping on IEDs every day and cold military like them.

I remember years ago, when I had contact with local nursing homes, that the lap blankets were really appreciated. I know of a number of nurses who walked out with them. So, the demand was pretty high.

You can consider donating to a local hospice organization. Our church does quilts for that. Our quilt guild does small 32"x32" quilts for the NICUs at the hospitals here...they are used to cover the isolettes of the premies and sick babies.

Just some ideas.

A call to the specific nursing home would tell you all you want to know. Some love them and some don't use them at all. My MIL was in an Alzheimer's ward. they LOVED them there! Just depends on the facilty.

I make one or two string blocks tops for HeartStrings Project, they quilt them and give them to charities of their choosing or I keep the top, quilt it myself and donate it to my Guild's Giving Closet. Guild distributes quilts at Christmas or as the need arises to local families, churches, hosptials, fund raisers, etc.
I make one or two twin size quilts for veteran's who live in assisted living type homes.

I'm a coordiantor for my Guild's Project Pillowcases and we make lots of bright and cheerful pillowcases for kids in hosptials. We a part of Con Kerr Cancer (conkerrcancer.com) and our pillowcases are distributed to kids in hospitals in New Jersey, Manhattan, NY and Philadelphia, PA. We also set aside a bunch for Guild's Giving Closet and local Food Pantry as pillowcases can be a extra little gift for many who don't get much for Christmas or their birthdays, for a local child or family experiencing problems, ie. a fire, lost of job, illness.

TN Veteran Home lap robes for wheel chair patients, Carl Perkins center for children ,twin size are really appreciated. State run nurseing homes especially and let us not forget those who can't speak for themselves animal shelters.

In my church parish I am over Humanitarian issues. I have made quilts that have gone to people in our community that have lost homes to fires, widows, people suffering illness, a homeless shelter, an orphanage in Africa . It changes with time and need.

Call the nursing home and ask the head nurse. My local nursing home will only accept lap quilts that are fairly plain. This is because of theft. It does no good for the patients if iffy staff members of visitors walk off with the quilts (really nice ones may end up on Ebay). This is not to be confused with a patient who goes home and takes a quilt. We are all for that if it provides them comfort!

Check for a Binky Patrol in your area. Also, contact your local social services. All my scrap afghans now go to mentally ill adults who live in a sheltered environment in a rural county. They are SO PROUD of their afghans. They show anybody who will take the time to look. :) Same thing here with quilts though - scrappy, not too fancy. Again, the problem is staff and visitors.

Finally, check with your area children's hospital. I have only made quilts for teenagers (extra long) because there are plenty of quilts for those under 14. There are patients as old as 21 in children's hospitals.

I am not knocking sending quilts overseas, but I choose to focus my efforts at home since they are not yet covered.

I donate my quilts to our local fire department.