Sixteen-year-old Michaela Vogel makes a great example for us to follow. She spends countless hours doing something for others; her only payment is a smile from the people she helps. Michaela makes no-sew fleece blankets for homeless people in Cincinnati. Last year, she donated 97 blankets. This year she hopes to make over 100.
Michaela’s effort to may seem small, but it makes a huge difference to every person that actually receives a blanket.
“They’re happy, clapping, saying ‘Thank you,'” she said. “It makes me really happy knowing that even simple things we take for granted can show love and support for people who normally don’t get those kinds of things.”
Fleece blankets for homeless donated by Michaela.
It takes Michaela 30 minutes to make each blanket. Her main challenge is finding the funds she needs to purchase materials. In 2016, her church offered her some of the money to fund her project. For 2017, she is reaching out to the public via her GoFundMe page.
Here’s Michaela’s personal message to her supporters:
My name is Michaela. I am a high school student, and I am raising money to buy fleece fabric for 100 two sided tie blankets to send down to Cincinnati homeless for the second year in a row! I would like to be fully funded by the end December 2017, so I can distribute the blankets through out January and February 2018. This project means a lot to me because I am very grateful for the things I have, and want other people to have something they need to get through the winter. Thank you all for the help from the previous year! I can’t wait to do this again!
Consider making a donation to Michaela here.
One might think that the summer is not a high-need time for the homeless. The weather is typically more pleasant than in the winter. But the situation is actually the opposite. Take the Greater Cincinnati area, for example, where Michaela lives. Shelters there are preparing for a surge in new clients. Often, host families and renters ask families in poverty to move on during summer months because their children are no longer attending school.
Although Michaela’s next batch of blankets may not get into the hands of the homeless until 2018, may her work inspire you to take action now. There are many opportunities in all communities to volunteer and help the homeless and those in needs. If you don’t know where to start, reach out to a local church for ideas. Finally, there are many online resources such as VolunteerMatch.org and even a quick Google search.
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