Healing Blankets organization expands distribution throughout the year

The group, based at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, formerly provided afghans at Christmas time, but now does so year-round.

By Observer Staff
| 1:00 p.m. September 21, 2022

Palm Coast Observer
Your Town

For years, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church has distributed afghans to the sick at Christmastime. But the church organization responsible — called Lazos de Amor, or Healing Blankets — is now also distributing the afghans through the year.

The afghans are blessed at the church during a mass ceremony before distribution, according to a news release.

The afghan effort began about five years ago with John Merced, who organized a group of Hispanic American Club of Palm Coast volunteers to crochet the afghans after a priest told Merced he wanted to be able to offer small blankets to people admitted at local hospitals.

Merced has delivered over 2,000 afghans, according to the news release. During the pandemic, Portuguese American Cultural Center from the Convivio also joined the effort, providing 15 more afghans to Merced and to Madeline Ocasio, who is now leading the initiative.

To donate wool or an already-knitted afghan, call Maria Elizabeth at 386-446-0356.