Years ago – probably 20 at least – a woman named Marie received a binky at the Sonshine Rescue Mission in Flagstaff, AZ. Some of our chapters come and go, but we had one there that regularly gave to the families at that shelter. We can tell the age by the label that was lovingly sewn on by hand to her blanket. It was a bright, patch type of quilt.
We learned that Marie is 5′ 2″. Susan asked her to make sure she replaced her binky with a new one that was the right size, and the request came through in October. We don’t currently have a Flagstaff chapter, and Marie now lives in South Dakota. Many of our chapters would have handled this request, but Susan wanted to hand-select the replacement binky. Hundreds of binkies came through October through December, but none matched her original binky’s bright cheeriness.
During January in Oregon, an ice storm hit. Power was knocked out all around Binky Patrol headquarters (Susan’s house). Susan works from home for her regular job and needed wifi access. Her friend, Charlene, offered her a space for the day. They had power and wifi! WOO HOO! Charlene is also a co-chair of the local chapter in Beaverton and helps at every event.
When Susan arrived, Charlene had a binky she had made from the fleece corners that are cut away when people make the tied blankets. One of the jobs we give kids at events is to gather the squares into a bag for the end of day.
Susan likens it to the Murano Glass Factory where they gather all the leftover glass and make vases called “end of day” vases that are unique and colorful. These are end-of-day-binkies in the making. We keep them all because they are so soft. It was bright, cheery, and the right size for Marie!
Susan knew it would be warm enough, too. She sent it off to Marie in South Dakota. Once Marie received it, she sent an email with the photos, “Many thanks for your hard work and dedication. Thank you also for caring.” You are so welcome, Marie. Thank you for finding us and letting us know that the binkies we make matter.
