I help will my local prayer blanket ministry. We make baby blankets that are donated to the local women's hospital. They are given to babies in the NICU. They are also given to families that have lost an infant. I was very active in this ministry for a while, but had slowed down in the past few months to work on other projects. I recently spoke with someone who recieved a prayer quilt. Out of respect for her privacy I will not go into detail, but she told me her story about recieving that quilt and the need to have something to hold on to when your baby is gone.
Her story has inspired me to return to this ministry with a passion. I am committing to making at least every other project a prayer quilt.
I wanted to share this and encourage others to donate a quilt to their local hospital or birthing center. I know we wonder if a quilt we gift to a friend or familiy member will be welcomed or stuck in a drawer. These quilts will be loved and cherished.

BTW - you may want to contact the hospital first (try the chaplain or religious services office) to see if they have any particular needs. My hospital always seems to run out of boy blankts. I don't know why but when people make a charity baby blanket 75% of them turn out pink:)

You might check to see if your area has a chapter of "Threads of Love", a ministry to families of newborns in intensive care (NICU) or suffering a fetal loss.
I spend more time sewing for TOL than all other projects put together -- most recently pieced flannel scraps into about 40 small blankets (18" to 24") that are waiting to be backed.

Typing With Tears Bless you

(((HUGS))) to you (((HUGS)))
I make them for these same reasons. Having spent a lot of time in NICUs I have seen first hand how much these quilts have meant to the family.

What a wonderful charity and I'm glad you're able to help them out.

I would love to do something like this but I am a smoker and they don't want any quilts from me. I thought that If I washed them in ivory or dreft and then dried them and put them in plastic that it would take care of it. But I guess not. I really commend those of you who do this.

I just found their web site and it's very moving. Thanks for doing this and for inspiring other as well.

Bless you for sharing your gifts! We received a Linus blanket when my firstborn was seriously ill as a newborn. Everything in the pediatric ICU we were in was so sterile, hard surfaces, etc. It was comforting to have a soft, warm lovey to hold while he was separated from us during surgeries and tests. Now as a healthy 6 year old, this blanket is one of his favorites. It will always be special to us.

Does anyone know what agency to contact to get quilts to women's shelters? I know many of the women who need these shelters have their children with them and often arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs. I would like to make some quilts for them, but don't have a clue who to contact about it. Help!

Probably Department of Health and Human Services