I recently started writing a charity crochet guest post series on Oombawka Design Crochet. Each month, I share a free pattern and highlight a charity that accepts crocheted and knit donations. This month, I shared a free blanket pattern designed for Project Night Night’s “Night Night Packages,” which you can find here.
Project Night Night is an organization that distributes their own brand of care packages to homeless children around the United States. I actually used to work at an organization that operated two family shelters, so this cause is one that is close to my heart. My free crochet pattern, the Rectangular Sampler Blanket, was also designed as a donation to Project Night Night.
I had the chance to interview Jessica Silverman Bryan, the Deputy Director of Project Night Night to find out more about this charity. You can find Project Night Night at their website here, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. All images are copyright Project Night Night and are used with permission.
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Underground Crafter: Can you tell us about Project Night Night and your Night Night Packages?
Jessica: Celebrating our 10th anniversary, Project Night Night’s mission is to provide free Night Night Packages to homeless children from birth to pre-teen who need our childhood essentials to have a concrete and predictable source of security and increased exposure to high-quality literacy materials during this time of upheaval. Each Night Night Package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children’s book, and a stuffed animal — all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag. Project Night Night works with tens of thousands of individuals each year who volunteer their time and talents to make our world a better place.
UC: What other programs and services does Project Night Night coordinate?
Jessica: Project Night Night’s main focus is on the distribution of our Night Night Packages. Our Adopt a Night Night Package program is our flagship volunteer involvement which results in the distribution of Night Night Packages. Furthermore, we offer a turn-key hands-on community service option for companies after seeing an increase in desire for philanthropic options at corporate events. Although that 95% of the children we service are in shelters, we do respond to natural disasters, American Red Cross response teams, and distribute to police and fire departments when requested.
UC: Not all charities working with homeless families accept handmade blanket donations. How does Project Night Night use handmade gifts? Do you accept other types of handmade items besides blankets?
Jessica: Our staff has always believed that there nothing more special than a handmade gift. We are proud to harness the countless volunteers, with amazing talent, to help fill our Night Night Packages. Handmade blankets and stuffed animals are always accepted.
UC: Project Night Night is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Do you have any anniversary special plans that Project Night Night fans can help support?
Jessica: We at Project Night Night have been helping homeless children for 10 years. In that time we have visited hundreds of shelters, heard heartbreaking stories, and distributed over 250,000 Night Night Package to little ones who had no comfort items to call their own. We look back with pride, but we look forward with concern. Did you know that 1 in 30 children will be homeless at some point this year? One in thirty! To us, celebrating our milestone birthday challenges us to meet another milestone….50,000 Night Night Packages in 2015. We are encouraging people to consider taking our 10 kid challenge. $25 sponsors 1 child. $250 supports 10 children.
UC: What are some other ways that people can get involved with supporting Project Night Night?
Jessica: Our website is the best resource for ways to get involved with Project Night Night.
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