Jan. 17 marks the Martin Luther King Day of Service, and Haddon Fortnightly’s Evening Membership Department (EMD) will be participating by making and donating fleece blankets to the Ronald McDonald House in Camden, an effort that went virtual for the second year in a row.
“In the past, we did the event in person,” explained Community Affairs Chair Deborah Mervine, referring to the three previous years of hosting the effort in a club room at the Fortnightly.
“ … With the resurgence (of COVID cases), it seemed too much even to risk that, so that’s why it’s on Zoom.”
The group will be meeting virtually via Zoom from 1 to 3 p.m. on Jan. 17 to make blankets together. Participants are responsible for supplying their own materials and delivering it to Mervine’s house (458 Elm Avenue, Haddonfield) following the event, where they will be delivered to Camden.
The project involved taking two pieces of fabric, placing them with wrong sides together and cutting 5-inch squares off the corner and 5-inch frays around the edges. Those frays were then tied in knots all around the edges.
While she couldn’t remember exactly how the idea of making blankets started, Mervine said the idea was well-received.
“(The blankets) are very attractive,” she noted. “They’re warm, they’re cuddly, they’re a delightful thing. You can make them with holiday fabrics, you can change them out; they’re great for babies – they’re just a delight.
“Last year, we received 64 blankets,” Mervine recalled. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we got more this year.”
Interested residents should email Deborah “Debbe” Mervine at [email protected] for the Zoom link.
