Blankets for a babies - a message of love

By Stacy Theresa Graham (USAG Baumholder Public Affairs)April 16, 2009

Blankets for a babies - a message of love
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAUMHOLDER, Germany - Handmade blankets piled are now a staple at the American Red Cross located on U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder. A new program called "Blankets for Babies" has been established for family members in the Baumholder community who have had a baby while their Soldier was deployed.

"First of all the whole idea for this came as something that we wanted the Red Cross to do for the community that would be something different than just doing the CPR courses," said volunteer Judy Tarantino, American Red Cross station chairperson.

"We are looking for different things to give back to the community that we are not necessarily charging for. It is based on volunteers," she said.

Tarantino used to make baby blankets for a project with friends and she knew she could probably get others to do the same thing.

"The deployed Soldiers' wives are having babies here, and they don't always have that family support that they would have if they were back in the States. So I got in touch with my quilting friends in Durango and asked what they thought. They started with a donation of 50 blankets and then more and more people got involved in the community. The blankets started coming in, although I thought we would never have enough," said Tarantino.

The materials were supplied by the American Red Cross to the volunteers. People in the States and in the community donated to the program.

"I think it is a really nice thing to do for moms who don't have their support with them, and babies need lots of blankets," said Susan Shadley, family member.

More than 300 blankets have been donated, and 20 people have volunteered for this program.

"I don't believe this has ever been done here during previous deployments. Landstuhl's similar program has been discontinued," said Tarantino.

As of late March, 120 blankets were given out to community members who have a baby since the deployment started.

"Everybody has really gotten involved with this. First of all on a volunteer basis, I have had volunteers that have turned in two or three blankets," continued Tarantino. She explained that the Brownies donated little blankets and a whole gift set.

Even the staff at the American Red Cross has worked on some of the blankets.

Kallee Valentine was the first spouse to receive a blanket from this program. "It was so nice. It has received a lot of publicity by word of mouth. It was nice to feel supported from this side of the deployment, you know locally," said Valentine.

"We have had mothers visiting their daughters and they would make blankets while they were here and donate them," said Libby Worman, American Red Cross assistant station manager.

"Without the support of the staff, Dennis Moran, American Red Cross station manager, and Libby Worman we wouldn't have been able to fund this. Baumholder Community Spouses Club also gave a generous grant toward the program," said Tarantino.

"It has gotten the Red Cross name out there so that people can really understand more about what the Red Cross does," she added.