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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEven though it\u2019s mostly just Samuel and his family that run this drive, many other individuals have joined the effort as well. Verhage said they have someone who donates a storage unit to their house for three months and this year, he had to bring a second unit because they had so many blankets. Many companies reach out and ask if they can pitch in. For example, Green Bay Packaging donates boxes every year. They also have someone who offered to build them a website and manage it for them. At first, it was just Samuel and his mom who were dropping off boxes to different restaurants, coffeeshops, and libraries. As the years went on, more and more people found out about Samuel\u2019s Blankets and they started reaching out, asking how they could help.
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Samuel and his mom agree that the biggest impact for them is when they start handing out the blankets to the people. Seeing the smile on their faces and hearing them say thank you makes it all worth it.
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\u201cWe tell people to bring whatever truck they have that\u2019s the biggest and we give away the blankets that are left. We used to deliver the blankets to different organizations, but we found that it\u2019s more efficient if they come to us because we can give them more blankets that way. We would just fill up 50 gallon bags full of blankets and just load them up in the truck. Last year was the first year that we also started collecting sleeping bags because we wanted everyone that sleeps in the park or outside to have a sleeping bag. The blankets we will give to anyone in need. They don\u2019t have to be homeless. We just tell them to come and get them if they need them,\u201d stated Verhage.
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Giving back to the community around this time of the year always brings people a lot of joy. Samuel\u2019s efforts have inspired many to follow in his footsteps. During the month of November, the Medical Assistant class at Ross Education in Battle Creek decided help Samuel spread a little warmth. They contributed their time and effort to the community by making a tie blanket together and then donating it to Samuel\u2019s Blankets.
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Lindsey Smith, Career Development Representative, found out about Samuel\u2019s Blankets through her husband\u2019s company and thought that making a tie blanket together and donating it would be a really fun project for the students get involved in. I think it\u2019s touching that such a young boy had the drive to start this. It\u2019s expanding and growing bigger every year and we obviously want to give to his cause because he is so passionate about it. It\u2019s like a domino effect – one small act of kindness can go such a long way and inspire others to do the same,\u201d said Smith.
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Although Samuel primarily focuses his efforts for this drive during Thanksgiving, he is still accepting new and lightly used blankets all year round. Boxes have been removed from stores, but you can still make a donation here<\/a>. The money that is donated goes towards the purchase of new blankets. They try and find the cheapest and best quality blankets possible, which are then delivered to shelters through the winter season. In the five years since starting this drive, Samuel has collected and passed out more than 10,200 blankets. He plans on expanding Samuel\u2019s Blankets even further, however, next year he will be taking a break from the drive in order to restructure it in a more efficient way. He believes in his mission wholeheartedly and knows it\u2019s one that needs to keep going.
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