Blanket
America Ministries, Inc. began as an outreach effort of one church seeking to be obedient to God’s call to love our
neighbors as ourselves.
Our first efforts in Appalachia
were in home repair, bringing crews to Appalachia to address pressing needs where a new porch was needed to allow access to
a home and to replace a roof where children were in danger of being taken out of the home. When we asked what else we might
do the answer came back that food was always needed. Asking for food at our church opened the door for clothing, appliances
and furniture. And so began Blanket America Ministries' Love Thy Neighbor Ministry. Soon we had a need to purchase
a 12 foot trailer. Since then, the ministry has expanded to include two ministry owned trucks and a 20, a 30, and three
36 foot trailers.
The second step was what we call Blanket Appalachia.
Our church had been participating with other churches in an annual fall outreach in Appalachia where a Christian witness was
shared by high school youth with residents who came to area churches and community centers for new blankets and used clothing.
We asked that organization to extend the ministry to allow more adults to participate, but they declined. So we launched the
first annual Blanket Appalachia weekend in the fall of 2003 and began a similar ministry utilizing people of all ages.
After hundreds of trips to Appalachia with used
goods and after three years of Blanket Appalachia, it became obvious the ministry had outgrown the capacity of one church to
be its primary means of support. In the spring of 2006 Blanket America Ministries was formed. It is a corporation fully recognized
as a not-for-profit, charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; thereby making all donations
tax deductible.