International (GAiN/MNN) — There are 26 active armed conflicts around the world today, and nearly 60 million people have been displaced. It’s impossible to help them all, but tomorrow on National Quilting Day, you can bring comfort to at least one or two people in need.
Sisters stay warm with a blanket provided by Global Aid Network .
(Photo courtesy GAiN via Facebook)
According to UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) statistics, nearly one-third of all people forcibly displaced are refugees — “people outside their country of origin because of feared persecution, conflict, violence, or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order, and who, as a result, require ‘international protection.'”
Another sizeable population consists of those displaced within their home nations, or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). They make up about 64% of the global total, or 38.2 million people.
It’s easy to get lost in the numbers, but each statistic has a face and a name. Most importantly, each one needs the salvation offered freely by Christ. Through their Blanket Initiative, Global Aid Network (GAiN) is both restoring human dignity and offering Gospel Truth.
Where does National Quilting Day come in?
(Photo credit: Kate Henderson via Flickr)
The first National Quilting Day was observed in the U.S. in 1992 as a celebration of quilt-making, quilt-makers, and the growth of quilting as an art form. Twenty-four years later, National Quilting Day is still observed annually on the third Saturday in March.
As you gather with friends to mark the occasion tomorrow, tell them about GAiN’s Blanket Initiative.
As explained here, the Blanket Initiative is part of GAiN’s Care ministry. Together with partners throughout the developing world, GAiN provides survival kits and disaster relief including shelter, blankets, clothing, shoes, school supplies, and other items necessary for rebuilding households and communities.
Refugees are one specific focus of this ministry, as the global number of refugees and displaced people keeps rising. More refugees means more people without access to simple things like food, water, shelter, clothing, and bedding.
GAiN’s Blanket Initiative is meeting these needs and opening doors to refugee communities in 12 nations. Each blanket GAiN delivers creates an opportunity to tell refugees about Jesus and His saving love.
(Graphic courtesy GAIN)
On National Quilting Day, there are several ways you can help GAiN take advantage of these opportunities:
- Make a quilt or blanket to donate to GAiN.
- Donate quilting fabric and/or supplies.
- Help cover shipping costs ($7/blanket).
Thank you for the opportunity to sew for those in need. I will begin today. Sometimes, with the BIG PICTURE, a person living in rural America does not know how to make an impact. God bless you and this outreach.