May 2022 News
Assembly Required
It is impossible to talk about the crisis of homelessness without addressing its root causes. Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival, an American anti-poverty campaign led by William Barber II and Liz Theoharis, was formed to pick up the mantle of Dr. Martin Luther King's 1968 Poor People's Campaign. In the spring of 2018, 50 years after the Poor People's March on Washington, actions were taken at statehouses throughout the US, capped off by a march on the National Mall. On June 18, Diane Nilan and Pat LaMarche, the Babes of Wrath, will join this march both as a way of demonstrating support for this important cause and to prepare for the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project display taking place on December 21 on the very same west lawn. If you are interested in joining them, click the link below to sign up for the Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly & Moral March on Washington and to the Polls. You should even try to get yourself a free Babes of Wrath t-shirt (while supplies last) by looking for Pat LaMarche or Diane Nilan on the west lawn that day.
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Do You Want to Warm Children?
If not for a small, ragtag group of activists in Illinois, millions of kids experiencing homelessness would not have strong educational rights, the law in Illinois for the past 30 years, and the land since 2005. Those activists have committed to making Illinois the lead state for kids’ blankets for the Memorial Blanket Project (MBP). Homemade kid-sized blankets (35 x 80 inches) are being knitted, crocheted, or quilted by Illinois participants and will be a part of the display on the lawn of the US Capitol for Homeless Persons Memorial Day, Dec. 21, 2022. The Memorial Blanket Project is sponsored by the Charles Bruce Foundation, organizers of last year’s wildly successful blanket display in Carlisle, PA.

Illinois-based HEAR US Inc., a national nonprofit to give voice and visibility to children and youth experiencing homelessness, is committed to the kids’ blanket component of the MBP. “This is an exciting project to highlight not only the issue of homelessness but to remind people that kids experience homelessness too,” commented Diane Nilan, HEAR US founder/president. “We are counting on this effort to strengthen our nation’s resolve to address homelessness.”

The Land of Lincoln’s longstanding history to bolster the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness will be the motivation behind every stitch. HEAR US board members Maria Wilson and Barb Schneider are leading the charge for this project. Persons interested in participating may send an email request using the button below.
Out on the Town
Did you know it takes approximately 12 skeins of yarn to complete one blanket? Or at least 7.5 yards of fabric to complete a quilt? Many people are happy to donate their time and skills to create a lovely blanket for the December 21st event but may lack the full financial resources for the supplies. To help with this, we created a handout that you can share with local craft businesses to help generate interest in discounting or donating supplies to would-be crafters. Use the link below to print your own flier.
Facebook Features
See what these active states are doing to support the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project by requesting to join their page...or visit our website by clicking the link below and ask to join the official Facebook page for your own state.
*South Carolina - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2435782699892246
*Maine - https://www.facebook.com/groups/618847109344619

For next month's Facebook Features, we will be highlighting the states with the most members, so pump up your state by joining its Facebook page using the link below.
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Remember to share your support for the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project by encouraging your friends to receive The Charles Bruce Foundation newsletter using the subscribe button below.