A Quilt Is The Best Gift At A Baby Shower!

Of course, as a quilter, the best gift we can give at a baby shower is a baby quilt.  Definitely, when it is for a new mom whose husband is off fighting in a war zone and she is living in an area where she doesn't have family or friends nearby, to throw her a Baby Shower!

Operation Homefront (OH) is a non-profit organization that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our military service members, wounded warriors, and their families’ nationwide. 

Those served are typically in the lower enlisted pay grades of E6 or lower (aka entry level, minimal pay scale).

Nationwide, OH hosts baby showers for young woman expecting a child, when their spouse has been deployed to a war zone. These expecting mothers are typically far from home and without a support system of family or friends. OH conducts large group baby showers using community donations to give these mothers a few things to help with a new baby.  And, they could certainly use some baby quilts.  As such, it is my hope to increase awareness and rally some quilt guilds that might make Linus quilts, as well as quilters that like to make charity quilts, to consider donating some baby quilts to their nearest Operation Homefront program.




While OH will accept baby quilts anytime of the year, in California, the next baby shower is scheduled for March 20th, 2013 in 29 Palms (near Palm Springs).  There will be 100 expecting or new moms at this shower and OH would like to get 100 baby quilts, to be able to give one to each of these new mothers.

Donations of items to go into baby gift baskets are also appreciated.  This would include just about anything a new baby could use, such as diapers, baby wipes, baby clothes, etc.

 Donations for the March 20th Baby Shower can be made to: 

 Operation Homefront California 

8318 Miramar Mall 

San Diego, CA 92121 

Attn: Tricia Delapaz

Additional contact info:

Tricia Delapaz, Director of Programs
858-922-8882
www.operationhomefront.net/california 
Tricia.DeLaPaz@OperationHomefront.net

KaHolly has a post for insights on Baby Showers in Texas

Please email SewCalGal if you can help with making baby quilts for this Baby Shower, or if you'll be helping to provide quilts to your nearest Operation Homefront.  I'd like to try to get photos of all the baby quilts, as well as recognize all Quilt Guilds and quilters that help to make OH' Baby Showers special, by way of giving these young mothers a beautiful handmade baby quilt.  So, please keep me posted even if you make a baby quilt for your nearest Operation Homefront.  I'm also keeping a list of who is helping, on the page of my blog labeled "charity".

And, if you know of any quilter or quilt guild that might be interested in helping, please share this with them.  SewCalGal hopes more quilters and quilt guilds will contact their nearest OH office to see how they can help.  I'm sure they'd love to receive Baby Quilts, baby bibs, burb clothes, as well as Patriotic Quilts to give to wounded veterans that they work with.