Saturday, April 20, 2013

Blankets 4 Kids - Keeping Kids Warm in Prescott, Arizona




A sock monkey peers over the top of a fleece blanket, rolled up and tied with a pink ribbon.  Children scream with delight as they scramble for a seat playing musical chairs.  Free hot dogs, coffee and cookies tempt browsing parents as they choose from the many handmade and gently used blankets, jackets and other items at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Mission's Children's Day.  The church, located in Ash Fork, Arizona, 54 miles west of Flagstaff and 50 miles north of Prescott, is playing host to Blankets 4 Kids, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that collects and distributes blankets, scarves and hats to needy families in the Prescott area.  


The brainchild of Ron Campbell of Prescott, Blankets 4 Kids serves organizations throughout the surrounding areas, including Head Start, Women's Shelters, Pregnancy Centers, Police and Sheriff's Departments and local churches to name a few.  Blankets, hats and scarves are collected from drop-off points throughout Prescott and Chino Valley, see http://blankets4kids.org/dropboxes.html for a complete listing.

 

Volunteers collect, clean and sort donations.  Children's blankets are "packaged" with a stuffed toy and other "surprises" tucked away inside.  One little boy's face lit up when he opened his hand crocheted rainbow colored blanket and pulled out a soft yellow hat and scarf, just the right size to keep him warm next winter.

For more information, to donate money, blankets, hats or scarves, or to schedule an event for Blankets 4 Kids, contact Ron Campbell at 928-541-0483 or 4kid@cableone.net.  Visit the website at http://www.blankets4kids.org.




Saturday, April 6, 2013

Memorial To The Unborn

St. Germaine, Prescott Valley, AZ

What is a Memorial to the Unborn?  They have been popping up all over in the last number of years.  Ranging from a simple headstone in a flower bed, to small parks at the side of a church, to Facebook pages, these memorials all have one thing in common - to honor babies who died before birth.  Whether the loss was by abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth, memorials also serve as part of the healing process for parents and loved ones of these babies.


St. Germaine, Prescott Valley, AZ

The National Memorial to the Unborn stands on the site of a former abortion clinic and now houses a pregnancy care center as well, where women can receive counseling, learn about alternatives to abortion and get real, practical help.


St. Germaine, Prescott Valley, AZ
Some memorials offer private services and placement of name plates,  small headstones or brick pavers to honor the child.  Others such as UnbornMemorials.com offer a place online for people to post memorials to their own or other's unborn babies.  The Knights of Columbus are very pro-active in building memorials at Catholic parishes, such as the one where I took these pictures, St. Germaine in Prescott Valley, AZ.

As tragic as Roe vs. Wade (the US Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion on demand) was, and as important as it is to continue to fight to overturn it, there will continue to be a deep-seated need to provide healing and resources to parents of aborted, miscarried and stillborn children.  Memorials to the unborn, support groups and other resources can help.


St. Germaine, Prescott Valley, AZ
To locate a memorial to visit or for further information on memorials to the unborn try these sites in addition to the links above: