FAQs
General Questions
What is Fleece & Thank You?
Originally from Novi, MI, Fleece & Thank You’s headquarters are now in Farmington Hills, MI. We specialize in making cozy fleece blankets with personal, supportive video messages and then deliver the blankets filled with comfort and hope to children in hospitals all around Michigan and Northern Ohio.
Who founded Fleece & Thank You?
We were founded by two Oakland University students, Nicholas Kristock and Bryce Goulah, in October of 2015.
What is a yearly goal for Fleece & Thank You?
Currently, there is an average of 30,000 children each year who face hospital treatments in Michigan. Our goal is to make 30,000 blankets a year, to make sure every child gets the comfort they deserve!
What was the inspiration for Fleece & Thank You?
Our Executive Director, Nicholas, had a great relationship with a young child named Sophie, while he was playing professional soccer in Australia. He and Co-Founder, Bryce, realized that there was a need for creating smiles on the faces of those children fighting their battles, and then came up with the idea of a fleece blanket for all the Warriors to stay warm and lift their spirits.
What is Make A Blanket Day?
Make A Blanket Day is one of our largest annual events, where communities come together to make a TON of blankets for children in hospitals! The blanket count at this event keeps growing and growing, and currently the record has been set at 2,017 blankets!
Questions about Blankets
What is the unique aspect of the blankets?
Each blanket has a logo/patch heat pressed on it, where there is a code that contains a video of the blanket maker offering words of encouragement to children going through their treatment journey. These children can then send a thank-you video back with their new piece of colorful comfort. All of this is possible through our video-sharing software called KindKatch.
How do you make the blanket kits?
We have a warehouse in Farmington Hills, where we work with volunteers and community partners to bring raw materials and transform them into completed blanket kits. Yardage of prints and solids is paired, an EPT transfer is applied, and then the material is rolled into a kit before being staged for shipping. Making it ready for blanket makers to cut and tie into a finished blanket. For more details on how to make, cut, tie, and record a video with a blanket kit, please refer to our Resources for instructions. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to events@fleeceandthankyou.org.
Have questions about making a blanket video?
Please reference our Resources page for additional instructions, examples, and suggested Do’s and Don’ts.
What is the difference between a blanket kit and a finished blanket?
A blanket kit is composed of 4 yards of fleece fabric, 2 yards of print, and 2 yards of solid that are layered together and rolled into a bundle for cutting and or tying. A finished blanket is the end product after exterior strips have been cut and tied into double-knots. Then the blanket maker will make their supportive video and put their video code on the patch. Blankets will then go through the quality control and wash process before reaching a kiddo.
Can I just make blankets on my own or at my own pace?
Absolutely, and we can make it happen! If you’re local, you can pick up your kit(s) at our warehouse in Farmington Hills, or if you’re farther away or out of state, we can ship you your kit(s) for a small additional cost!
Please feel free to order your kits here. We’ll provide instructions with your kit, and if you need additional information, please reach out to info@fleeceandthankyou.org.
Where can I drop off my F&TY finished blankets?
We accept F&TY finished fleece-tie blankets at our blanket drop-off sites, including our facility in Farmington Hills! We ask that all blankets be put in a plastic bag and labeled with your name/group name on them for tracking purposes! Please check the details by clicking on the pin for site hours and additional details.
How much are the blanket kits?
We offer two versions of our blanket kit, one is a standard kit for $30, and the other is a pre-cut kit for $35. The standard blanket kit is where a maker cuts the corners and fleece strips with scissors, while the pre-cut kit comes with the corners and strips pre-cut out, ready for the blanket maker to double-knot. Each is a great option and can be ordered here.
Can I donate non-F&TY blankets?
We require that Fleece & Thank You blanket kits are used. We worked with our hospital partners to design the exact specifications and process for our kits, and this is critical in delivering consistent comfort to kiddos. If you were unaware of our process and have already purchased materials, we do accept non-FTY blankets one time only. These blankets must be double-layered, double-knotted, blizzard/anti-pill fleece, and within the relative size of our F&TY blanket kit (2-yds x 2-yds). We do not accept non-fleece blankets, including crocheted, knitted, wool, or other types of material, and we do NOT accept used blankets.
Questions about Events
What is a blanket-making event?
This is when a group or team wants to make blankets and create supportive video messages on a specific date/time/location. Examples of groups we work with include schools, student organizations, businesses, churches, sports teams, and family parties. Blanket-making events can be led by an F&TY team member, or the group can run them solo.
For more details, please visit our blanket-making events page or email events@fleeceandthankyou.org.
How are the blanket kits brought to events?
If you are hosting a group activity to engage in blanket making at a central location, and the event is greater than 100 blankets, we’ll bring blankets to you and facilitate that event within a 40 mi radius of F&TY for 60-90 minutes.
Questions about Volunteers
How can I get involved as a warehouse volunteer?
A great way to get involved with us is by volunteering in our warehouse, where we prep our blanket kits! We have warehouse hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday with various time slots to sign up for, and frequent Saturdays each month. Part of the warehouse experience is pairing blankets, adding the heat transfer with the special video code, quality controlling finished blankets, and assisting with packing blankets for the hospital!
We’d love to have you. Please visit our Volunteer Hub for dates and open slots. If you have additional questions, please reach out to volunteer@fleeceandthankyou.org.
Is there an age limit for volunteers in the warehouse?
Yes! All minors 13 – 15 years old must have guardians with them during their shift and a completed liability form. Volunteers between the ages of 15 and 18 years old must have a completed liability form (completed by their parent or guardian). This form must be brought with them or their chaperone to their volunteer shift.
How else can I get involved?
Other ways to get involved would be…
1. Like to drive and do deliveries? Join our Comfort Convoy Team; it’s a great way to support our organization, picking up hospital-ready blankets from our loading dock and delivering comfort to the hospital’s front door.
2. Do you sew? If you have sewing skills, ask us about our outsourced quality control process and how to mend damaged blankets.
3. Please visit our Volunteer Hub for more details and other volunteer opportunities. Haven’t found your answer, please email us at volunteer@fleeceandthankyou.org.
4. Want to make blankets on your own or have your own blanket event? Please check out this information about blanket events or ordering kits.
5. Learn more about our clothing line and other ways to Give and support our organization.