As people around the world suffer through wars and disasters, Big Horn Basin residents are being invited to blanket them with kindness.

In early December, residents across the Basin can donate quilts and blankets for Ukrainian refugees, those affected by February’s earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and those displaced by the ongoing conflict in Israel/Gaza.

Items gathered locally will be distributed by a Utah-based nonprofit called Wrap The World With Quilts, which aims to provide “comfort, love, warmth, healing and human connection to those suffering around the world.” Since its founding last year, the organization has sent more than 37,200 quilts abroad.

Heather Petersen of Greybull recently felt moved to donate some blankets to the cause and as she did so, “I thought of how amazing it would be to involve the whole Big Horn Basin in gathering quilts for people in need.”

It turned into a bigger effort and, after enlisting the help of others, donations are going to be accepted at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints churches around the region.

From 10-11 a.m. on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, residents can bring blankets to the LDS churches in Powell, Cody, Cowley, Lovell, Burlington, Basin/Greybull, Worland, Thermopolis or Ten Sleep. In Powell, quilts can be delivered to the church building at 1026 Ave. E, while drop-offs in Cody should be made at 1407 13th St.

The donated items should either be clean and gently used or new. Clean, like new stuffed animals can be included with children’s blankets, though they need to be small (like the size of a Beanie Baby).

“I think many people here want to help but don’t have a way to,” Petersen said, adding that, “this provides a way for people to help.”

Donors can participate anonymously or they can register their quilts on the Wrap The World With Quilts website. If registering online, donors have the option of printing out a personal note and a barcode, which allows the recipient to later reach out via email; those notes should be pinned to the blanket inside a sealed sandwich bag.

Donors can pick a specific destination for their quilt, or simply allow them to go to the area with the greatest need.

All of the blankets and quilts gathered in the Big Horn Basin will be driven to Utah the week of Dec. 11. From there, Wrap The World With Quilts will deliver them overseas in partnership with Lifting Hands International, another Utah-based relief organization. Lifting Hands ships a crate overseas every month with food, medical supplies, and 2,000-3,000 blankets, Petersen said.

With the local drive, “our original goal was 1,000,” she said, “but if every household in the Basin were to donate just one, we’d far exceed that!”

For more information, visit wraptheworldwithquilts.com.

—By CJ Baker