Story by: Michael Dawes, director of PR, Rosewood Services
Rosewood Miracle Workers AKTION Club completed its annual community blanket drive this spring by donating to two organizations, which are headquartered in Great Bend. Club representatives donated blankets to Barton County Health Department, and Family Crisis Center. The blanket drive was conducted from January through February this year.
“We appreciate the community stepping up once again to help provide blankets to two deserving organizations in our community,” said Rosewood AKTION Club sponsor Frankie Pelster. “Our AKTION Club members understand the importance of providing blankets to area children, so much so that it’s been their choice to keep this community fund drive going for the past 11 years. Over that time, we’ve provided a lot of blankets, but we know every year, there are always more needed.”
The blankets were a welcomed donation to Family Crisis Center, 1924 Broadway Ave., as blankets are given to every child within the organization that serves an 11-county area. Family Crisis Center has also recently started providing blankets with bags to area hospitals to give to patients involved in the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program.
“I’m completely grateful to Rosewood AKTION Club for conducting this drive,” said Kylee Graves, executive director of Family Crisis Center. “We have an amazing community with lots of organizations and people willing to help each other. I hope we can continue being able to give back what we can. Likewise, I hope that other organizations can continue to bless us with their giving, as well. We appreciate the support.”
The Barton County Health Department, 1300 Kansas Ave. STE B, follows Barton County mothers through their pregnancies and present parents with a blanket for their newborns. Because of their demand for blankets as gifts, they are always in need of more blankets.
“We take the blankets to our Healthy Start home visits and give them to the infants that just got home from the hospital,” explained Savannah Bochy, Healthy Start Home Visitor for the department. “The large blankets, we give to the adults during home and clinic visits. We rely heavily on blanket donations; we use all of them. They go to the infants and newborns and to mothers and parents who don’t have the financial ability to have enough blankets, otherwise.”
Rosewood AKTION Club is an affiliate of the national Kiwanis organization that promotes service in action for people with developmental disabilities. The area club allows Rosewood members to be actively involved in the community and to positively impact the lives of others.