I heard about this lovely sewing bee project from Diane Gilleland, and think it is really worth sharing.

From now until February 29th, Barakah Life will be collecting blankets (either handmade of store-bought if you’re pressed for time) for Project Night Night, an organization that gives homeless children their own tote bag with their own blanket, storybook and stuffed animal. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this project, and to be honest, it brings tears to my eyes because all of us, especially the littlest ones, deserve good and safe nights of sleep.

From the Project Night Night website:

There are approximately 298,000 homeless families in the United States. Currently, there are more homeless children in the U.S. than at any other time since the Great Depression. Nonetheless, family homelessness often goes unseen as most homeless families do not live on the street. Instead, most homeless families are transient, living in shelters, in cars, in hotels in the city’s poorest neighborhoods, or staying with friends or family members. These environmental stresses negatively influence a child’s early experiences and often lead to an increase in mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, poor sleep habits, and behavioral issues.

To ease the anxiety associated with shelter living, Project Night Night distributes Night Night Packages to homeless children ages 0-10. Each Night Night Package includes an age-appropriate book, a baby blanket which can be cuddled, and a stuffed animal which can become a cherished friend. Finding comfort is vitally important for children in order to feel secure, loved, and valued – even in the midst of the upheaval and uncertainty attendant to homelessness.