Women from Garland, Richardson, Wylie and Sachse joined together in service to displaced children as part of the Richardson Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints female Relief Societies annual conference, partnering with Project Night Night.
Project Night Night donates over 25,000 Night Night Packages each year to homeless children 12 and under. Each package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children’s book, and a stuffed animal — all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag. By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night reduces trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children we serve.
The conference’s goal was to complete 35 packages. The bags were provided by the charitable organization, while the needed books and stuffed animals were donated by the conference attendees.
Between classes, workshops and dinner, women dropped in the service project area where they viewed a short video about Project Night Night, then they sat down at a sewing machine or gra
bbed an iron and helped in the production of the blankets.
Garland resident, Beth Gillmore was in charge of the service project. She shared her comments:
“One way to show our love for others is to serve them. Project Night Night allowed me the chance to serve children who are in unfamiliar circumstances, whether they are a refugee or if they are displaced from the home that they know. I am a mother of 5, grandmother of 15 and have a great love for children. I am grateful for the chance to share that love with the children who will receive these bags. I may not be able to take each one in my arms and give them a hug and assure them that they are loved, but the blankets that were made by these women carry that love and I hope the children will find comfort in them.”
Kendra Stitt Robins, Project Night Night Founder and Executive Director expressed her gratitude for the help they received, “We are incredibly grateful when community members like Amy Dover and her team commit their time, talents, and resources to Project Night Night. Thanks to the Stake, 35 Night Night Packages were completed to serve 35 homeless children. Every child matters, and we are thrilled to have the Stakes support of our mission.”
The LDS Relief Society has approximately 7.1 million members in over 188 countries and territories around the world. The Relief Society is often referred to by the church and others as “one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the world, beginning in March of 1842. Their motto is “Charity Never Faileth.”