MONROE/TRUMBULL— Knitting needles, colored yarn, and soft fabric. It is these ordinary items that have inspired a 10-year mission dedicated to comforting children. What began as a desire to bring solace to survivors of the Sandy Hook tragedy and their first responders has grown into a commitment of service well beyond this small community.
After Monroe resident Jeanne Malgioglio and a friend organized a collection of 37,000 green and white scarves for Newtown over a decade ago, they were amazed by the incredible outpouring of love from around the world and wanted to continue their efforts for others. That is what spurred Malgioglio in 2014 to create the first Connecticut chapter of Binky Patrol, a national non-profit organization that makes and distributes homemade blankets to critically ill and traumatized children.
A parishioner at St. Stephen Parish in Trumbull, Malgioglio understands not only the importance of serving others but people’s desire to do so. “People want to help. As kids, we learn that Jesus wants us to ‘love one another as I have loved you.’ They just need a pathway to do so,” she said.
Now, accompanied by a myriad of volunteers from around the region with their own needles, fabric, and endless skeins of yarn, she coordinates the Trumbull/ Monroe chapter of Binky Patrol, helping to bring thousands of blankets to hospitals and shelters as well as organizations such as the Center for Family Justice, Malta House, Blessed Sacrament Parish, and Room to Grow Preschool, a program of Catholic Charities. In addition to these local organizations, donations have also been made to residents of Uvalde, Texas following the school shooting there and to communities in Florida and North Carolina in the aftermath of recent hurricanes.
“It keeps growing and growing,” said Malgioglio of the program. “I almost always have a garage full of blankets!” With a delivery just after Christmas, this Binky Patrol chapter has now donated a record 19,000 handmade blankets, including knit and crocheted ones for babies as well as others for older children that are either quilted or fleece-tied, ideal for creating a cocoon of warmth and security.
“We’re always collecting because there is always a need,” she added. “Sadly, you never know when a tragedy may hit. These blankets show children that they matter and that someone cares about them.”
Those who care include groups throughout the diocese and beyond but are often concentrated within church and community organizations, including sports teams, parish youth groups, and Confirmation classes.
“Kids love making them, especially for other kids. They might earn service hours, but they do it regardless,” Malgioglio said, noting that some recipients then decide to make blankets themselves, including Trumbull resident Shane Miller.
When he awoke from surgery to repair a broken arm at age 11, Miller remembers being wrapped in a brown and white fleece binky, comforting him at that uncertain time. Soon after he recovered, Miller attended his first Bink-athon. “It’s what sparked my love for making these blankets,” he said.
Several years after his surgery, he organized an event through his youth group at St. Theresa Parish in Trumbull, making dozens of fleece blankets for young trauma victims. “I’ve had the privilege to visit places like the Center for Family Justice and meet recipients of these blankets. I see the impact they have on them,” said Miller, now a 21-yearold college student in Vermont.
His mother Sandy has seen that impact firsthand.
“Binky Patrol isn’t just people making blankets for sick kids,” she said. “It’s about connecting with a child who may be feeling lost, alone, or scared.”
Malgioglio is currently working to collect hundreds of binkies for children at the Head Start program in the Naugatuck Valley.
“We’re always looking for new groups to assist with making blankets,” she said. “We’re called to serve and help others. What better way than with the comfort of a binky?”—a tangible way to let a child feel protected, supported, and loved.
(If you would like information on how your group can assist with the Binky Patrol, contact Jeanne Malgioglio at ctbinky@gmail.com.)
