Volunteers

When Ben Tewes called panicked, he had two months to complete 236 court-ordered community service hours. We quickly calmed him down and assured him, he could do this! We came up with a plan, outlined here - https://binkypatrol.org/article.cfm?id=510. And he took it a step further. His probation officer wanted to be assured that BEN was actually making the blankets. He came up with the idea to set up his phone in timelapse mode and record his work. He won them over, they rooted for him to make his deadline, 236 kids are receiving blankets in Colorado because of him, and I think he's hooked. Hear his story in this episode of All-Volunteer, All Heart from Binky Patrol, "236 Hours - A Community Service Story."

Have you ever known the family was coming over, but because of the weather, and varying ages, you didn't quite know what to do with everyone after the meal? What about when your office and workload are lighter due to the upcoming holidays, end-of-year vacations, and more? A great way to bring these groups of people together is to make blankets. It's a chance to lift some of the annual awkwardness, stay busy for those fidgety people, and change lives. Make blankets. We sometimes forget to talk about the overall mission of Binky Patrol. Binky Patrol makes blankets and gives them away to children and teens in need of comfort. Those invisible kids who need a reminder that they matter, they are not forgotten, and that someone cares about them. We do this through handmade blankets - they can be sewn, quilted, crocheted, knitted, or tied - just so they come from your heart and are washable, they are perfect. Please listen to this 7-minute episode.
This podcast is sponsored by Impact4Good.com Connecting companies, organizations, and communities.What difference will you make today?
Impact 4 Good is the one source for bringing community service to your next event! Exciting and engaging team-building activities are just part of what we offer. Let us identify the best cause/beneficiary to support, manage the donation logistics and bring the spirit of community service to your group. From your initial request through the day of your event, Impact 4 Good handles all the details.

When you volunteer you have an opportunity to help others, and better yourself. Our chapter leaders are not paid. No one is at Binky Patrol, but they are learning marketable skills. Binky Patrol chapter leaders - Area Coordinators - learn how to lead a group, speak publicly, do PR, coordinate events, do basic accounting and more. We give recommendations to up to 10 people a year who are seeking a job - sometimes for the first time. They have all of these skills they've learned while volunteering. Now they can get a better job. They have confidence, too. Listen to this short episode to be inspired to do more when you volunteer rather than simply showing up.
If you need more ideas on ways to help, visit BinkyPatrol.org and click on the dropdown at the top - Ways to Help

The Legg family has welcomed over 30 foster children through their home and each one receives and leaves with a Binky Patrol blanket. They also have adopted four children from the foster system. She tells us about a child that arrived two weeks ago at her home. And just two Fridays ago, we received a, a little baby girl. And during the drop off of them inspecting our homes and whatnot. I had six blankets that had been delivered to our house and they were sitting on the porch. And, uh, the case worker that had come through said are those Binky blankets? And I said, they are. And she said, "I'm headed back to the command post. I have 18 teenagers that are sleeping in the command post right now. There aren't a lot of available foster homes." And so a lot of the older children are staying in the command post, and she said, "Can I take them? At least six will have blankets tonight."
Kimberly Legg's 19-year-old daughter says, "Mom if there's any other child that has a circumstance like mine, I wanna help to make sure that they have something that they can call their own for no matter how many years they've been in the system or how many years they've been when they're adopted or, that they have something they can call their own." Listen to the rest of this full-circle story.

When Marlys Vaughan picked up the phone to talk to Susan Finch about volunteering to help with the Binky Patrol website, she had no idea it would lead to lifelong friends, a way she can craft for others, and daily joy from helping the children and teens in Salem, Massachusetts. This episode is the story of her one-woman chapter that grew to three people and a school and continues to grow.
Learn from Marlys' gentle story that you can start with a small effort and add to it as you go along the path. Marlys says one of the greatest and unexpected gifts is the friendships she has in Binky Patrol with people who have like-hearts. Hmmm, Lisa Cintron and Miriam talked about that too. I think they're on to something!

This episode talks about some of the early deliveries that still impact us as they truly show the full mission of Binky Patrol from holding premature drug-addicted babies in soft, dark, quiet rooms to driving quickly to deliver a binky to a girl in an orphanage that called us to get one for her friend arriving shortly. Carolyn Berndt joined Binky Patrol when the company she was working for was in search of a local charity they could help financially. She showed up and fell in love immediately with Binky Patrol's simple mission of making and giving blankets to comfort children who are hurting, ill, abused, alone, in trauma of any kind. Her background is in marketing and PR, not blanket making so that's what she dove in to help with. She also helped with deliveries.  Join Carolyn and Susan to hear why we continue to do what we do. Bring your hankie as they tell true stories of real kids who were so happy to receive a binky.
Carolyn Berndt joins Susan to talk about how she found Binky Patrol. They also talk about the impact volunteering had on Carolyn's children, Malena and Max. Then break out the hankies as they both tell of deliveries and holding babies with no moms to hold them. It's all a reminder of how the little things and a bit of time can change lives. Consider doing SOMETHING other than "sending love and prayers" - show up, help us comfort these kids. It's easy. This episode talks about some of the early deliveries that still impact us as they truly show the full mission of Binky Patrol from holding premature drug-addicted babies in soft, dark, quiet rooms to driving quickly to deliver a binky to a girl in an orphanage that called us to get one for her friend arriving shortly.