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News Release

DATE: January 20, 2010
CONTACT: Brenda Burgy-Schweizer
PHONE: (419) 231-0888

Area Runaway Shelter Receives Handmade Blankets

Local runaway and homeless youth will now find the comforts of home when they stay at Safe Harbor. The only shelter of its kind in the region will receive 11 handmade, twin-size blankets from a local church group.

Dorcas Blanket Ministry, through Lima Community Church, will generously donate the blankets to the shelter on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

"We want the children to know that they are loved and they are special," says volunteer Christine Shumaker. Shumaker says the group has grown to about 45 volunteers over the nine years it has been meeting. "Our blankets have gone all over the world," she says. "I even carry quilt squares in my pocket should I meet someone who needs a prayer."

Typically, the blankets the group makes are lap size blankets. But for Safe Harbor, the ladies determined twin-size would be ideal. It took the ladies about three months to complete them. While recipients normally keep the donated blankets, these quilts will stay at the shelter so all youth can enjoy wrapping up in them. The facility is housed at 429 S. Jameson Avenue in Lima. It serves youth between the ages of 12 and 18 in Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, Hardin, Mercer, Putnam and Van Wert counties.

Statistics indicate one in seven youth will run away during their teenage years. Safe Harbor provides these children shelter, food and clothing for up to 21 days. The facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is free to all teenagers who enter. The shelter can accommodate up to 10 youth at one time.

Safe Harbor provides treatment planning, crisis management services, group, individual and family counseling, continued education through designated school, tutoring services, followup services after discharge, access to community resources, life skills development, employment services and support groups for youth and family.

Shumaker says the group made a total of 650 handmade quilts this year. The volunteers are so dedicated, they frequently take the unfinished projects home and on vacation with them in order to meet the growing need.

Accompanying each blanket is a card that reads "This unique handmade prayer blanket was made with loving care by a group of dedicated ladies. Each knot represents a prayer for you. The blanket symbolizes God’s grace and love covering your life."

This ministry is named after a woman in the Bible whose name was Dorcas. She helped people in very practical ways and the local group continues her special needs ministry of serving others in need. The mission of the Dorcas Ministry is to minister to the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of others by providing practical acts of service. In this case, about a dozen members spend their free time making blankets by hand for individuals who are disadvantaged.

The blankets are given to people of all ages. Shumaker says everyday they reap rewards for their hard work. “God gives us new projects every year. We didn’t know if we could do this particular one in time. When God wants it done, he sees it gets done,” she says.

About SAFY

For over 25 years, children who have experienced the worst in life have found hope through SAFY. More than the traditional foster care agency, SAFY is a private not-for-profit organization focusing on treatment, intervention, adoption and the placement of children whose intensive needs cannot be managed through traditional foster care. SAFY is proud to sponsor Safe Harbor and its programming. For more information contact Brenda Burgy-Schweizer at SAFY at 419.695.8010 or 419.231.0888.

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