OUR OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION, OUR SCHEDULE, OUR MAIN VENUE, OUR JOY!

ORGANIZATION:  We are a 501(c)3 charitable organization in the State of Washington, for the following purposes: to make blankets and such other items as deemed beneficial for children; and, to make blankets and such other items as deemed beneficial for all others.

SCHEDULE:  We meet each Friday afternoon. Our scheduled hours are 12 noon to 3 p.m. on every Friday but the 3rd Friday of the month at which time we meet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy a no-host potluck lunch, and share project how-tos and ideas. However, it must be noted that it is not necessary to attend Friday work days. If the preference of a volunteer is to craft their creations at home, that works, as well.

MAIN VENUE: Our main meeting place is at the Sagebrush Center, 441 Desert Aire Drive, Desert Aire, WA 99349, a rural village in south central Washington, halfway between Vantage, WA on I-90 and Richland, WA on SR-240. We have the luxury of large tables for sewing, cutting and needlework, plus a kitchen (refer to Our Schedule above).  In addition, a group of members in the Yakima Valley meet at their own venues on their own schedules.

OUR JOY!: As of January of 2017, our members have made over 9,000 blankets and have the privilege of taking turns delivering at least 100 blankets, afghans, quilts and other items, on a monthly basis, to 10+ facilities in the lower Columbia Basin of Washington state. Desert Aire is located in the middle of an area that is bordered by Yakima, Sunnyside, Othello and Mattawa and the rural areas in the surrounding beautiful vineyards and orchards of this part of the state. In addition to these "regular" facilities, we are honored to gift individuals who come to our attention who may not be associated with a particular facility. Our Joy is knowing that our small efforts may be making a difference in the life of someone we probably will never know. Second, and almost as important, is the support that the volunteers can depend on from each other - a wonderful combination!

STORIES!: One Friday afternoon during Cozy Comforts a young mother came in with her three boys - one was carrying a blanket -  and she wanted to thank us.  She was living in Desert Aire temporily at her parents house and her middle son had been sick so she took him to the Mattawa Community Medical Center.  The medical staff determined he was too ill to be driven to the hospital and called 911.  When EMT's arrived they put him in the ambulance and gave him one of our Cozy Comfort blankets.  She said the blanket was very comforting and he had been hanging on to it since the experience.  We never know where our blankets will end up but it's nice to have a personal story attached to one of our blankets.  We were so thankful the mother stopped by that day.  The other day I was in Mattawa and saw a mother walking down the street with her child in a stroller she had a blanket wrapped our her child to my surprise it was a blanket I made for Cozy Comforts.  It made my heart feel so good to see one of my blankets being comforting a child.