QUILTS BEYOND BORDERS PORTLAND OREGON WEBSITE

Quilts Beyond Borders is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon that coordinates the creation and distribution of quilts and other warm bedding items to refugees and those displaced by violence, conflict, natural disasters or extreme poverty around the world. Founded in 2002 by quilter Bev Stump, the organization has grown tremendously over the past two decades and now has volunteers participating in all 50 U.S. states as well as internationally.

QUILTS BEYOND BORDERS PORTLAND OREGON WEBSITE

The core mission of Quilts Beyond Borders is to provide direct material aid and comfort to vulnerable populations through the donation of handmade quilts and similar items. All quilts and bedding donated through the organization are given to approved charitable organizations and agencies that distribute them to refugee camps, disaster relief zones, domestic violence shelters, orphanages and other settings where they will be put to good use keeping people warm. No quilts are ever sold by the nonprofit.

Quilts Beyond Borders accomplishes its goals primarily through a vast network of volunteers who create and collect quilts and other donated items from their homes and local quilting/crafting groups. The organization has detailed instructions on their website about approved materials, sizing, labeling and shipping procedures to ensure consistency in donations. Volunteers are also encouraged to include personal notes of encouragement in multiple languages if possible. 

Once collected, donated items are stored at the Quilts Beyond Borders warehouse facility in Portland prior to distribution. Pallets of quilts and bedding are regularly shipped overseas to partner relief agencies active in areas supporting large displaced populations. Partners have included organizations like the International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and many others operating on the ground in refugee camps and crisis regions.

Some quilts are also distributed domestically within the United States. For example, donations have gone to help families displaced by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, wildfire victims in California and to a native tribe experiencing hardship in Alaska. Disaster relief and humanitarian aid agencies notify Quilts Beyond Borders of specific needs in various crisis areas to help direct donations where they are most urgently required.

The organization runs entirely on donations and has no paid staff. Annual operating costs including storage, distribution and basic administration are covered through individual donors and sponsorships from quilt guilds and fabric/notion companies. Quilts Beyond Borders also participates in craft fairs, trunk shows and other public events to raise awareness and recruitment efforts for more volunteers. Since inception, the nonprofit estimates it has contributed over 300,000 quilts and warm bedding items to people in desperate need worldwide. 

In addition to quilts, the Quilts Beyond Borders website provides information for volunteers to make and donate other types of relief supplies. These include no-sew fleece blankets, sewing/mending kits, pillowcases, baby/toddler clothes and stuffed animals. Specific instructions are given for each item to ensure cultural appropriateness, durability and usefulness in emergency settings. Blankets knitted or crocheted from natural fibers like wool are also accepted if they meet the organization's quality standards.

For volunteers and donors who want to contribute but cannot create crafts themselves, Quilts Beyond Borders accepts monetary donations through its website to help offset shipping and operational costs. Corporate sponsors may "adopt" an entire container shipment of relief goods to be delivered overseas. Individual donors can also sponsor individual quilts and bedding kits created by volunteers in honor of loved ones or to commemorate special occasions and milestones. 

The Quilts Beyond Borders website provides a helpful overview of the nonprofit's history, goals, partner agencies, donation guidelines and many inspiring stories and photos from the field. Interested individuals can sign up through the site to receive the organization's quarterly electronic newsletter with updates on relief efforts, volunteer spotlights and upcoming events. Social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are also maintained to engage more people in the worthwhile mission.

Through a well-organized network of skilled volunteers and the comfort of handcrafted donations, Quilts Beyond Borders leverages the power of quilting and other textile arts to deliver pragmatic humanitarian aid to some of the world's most vulnerable populations displaced by crisis. Nearly 20 years after starting with just a handful of quilts, the nonprofit has grown into a significant worldwide operation making real impacts through warmth, dignity and community support.