Blanket America- Patchwork Heritage Quilts

On January 20^th, 2009, almost exactly one year ago, Barak Obama took the stage to give his first speech as President of the United States. The country was in turmoil after the crash of the housing market and the credit crunch fully hit home. It was painfully obvious that the hardest times in generations were now upon us.

Obama’s campaign was built on hope and the promise of change. What he told us next was that the change would have to begin at home. “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility—a recognition, on the part of every American.” For the first time in a long time, the American public accepted the truth. That responsibility is not a dirty word, but a truism. It truly hit home that night how much trouble our nations was in. Obama asked us for unity and explained to us that the racial, ethnic and religious segregation we subject ourselves too has got to stop. “Our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.”

That night, millions of people across the globe watched as Obama spelled out the true situation at hand. He was calling our nation to action, calling us to unite as one. Mesh Gelman, a Manhattan bed, bath and window covering store owner was in his shop watching the address with his design team. When the words “patchwork heritage” were spoken, he got an idea. What if the greatest economy in human history matched what it consumed with what it donated? That night, Gelman and his team vowed to answer Obama’s call to action.

In the coming months, the Patchwork Heritage quilt was born and the Blanket America charitable organization created. Gelman based his charity on the assumption that more would be donated if the consumer got something in return. Therefore, Blanket America would offer the Patchwork Heritage quilt for sale and with every sale made the proceeds would go to buy a warm blanket for someone in need. Soon, the idea caught on and big name organizations gathered in support of the cause. This January, almost one year to the day after President Barak Obama’s speech was made, the collection will be released to the public. All in all, it a perfect way to raise to the challenge that Obama set before us. http://www.blanketamerica.com