(
When children experience a traumatic incident or are involved in a terrible car accident, many now have a warm blanket to comfort and keep them warm. A teenager helped make and then donated 600 blankets to The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis today. Police officers will share the blankets with youngsters when they arrive on the scene of an accident or crime.
It all started when Claire Helmen was a 6th grader at St. Thomas Aquinas in Indianapolis. She talked to her mother about the trauma families suffer in domestic violence situations. Claire wanted to do something specifically to comfort the children involved and came up with the idea to make blankets. “I’ve always known the importance of helping others in need and the thought of children being scared and traumatized is simply heart- breaking,” said Claire Helmen. “I designed this program in hopes of providing some type of comfort and condolence to them.”
The teenager got to work making fleece blankets at first by herself and then with the help of Junior Achievement Biz campers and StarPoint campers at The Children’s Museum. They then distributed the blankets to first responders who would be in position to share a warm hug via the blankets with children who were scared or upset.
Claire is now a 17 year old, senior at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis and with the help of volunteers has created a total of 3,600 blankets to date, which have been distributed throughout the state of Indiana.
“We are so glad to have these blankets,” said Lisa Brown, victim assistance manager, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. “The blankets are something tangible that we can give a child. The child loves it when we explain that it is their blanket and they get to keep it. It shows that someone cares that they are hurting.”
Two years ago (2010), the 17 year old senior at Bishop Chatard was recognized by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis as a Power of Children Award honoree for her project called Claire’s Comfort for Kids. As a result, Claire received a $2,000 grant from Kroger to continue her work. She used that money to purchase more fleece so she could touch more children through the blankets she and fellow volunteers create.
The Power of Children Awards: Making a Difference is an annual event intended to honor and further empower youth, in grades 6–11, who have made a significant impact on the lives of others, demonstrated selflessness, and exhibited a commitment to service and the betterment of society. The awards were inspired by the museum’s influential permanent exhibit, The Power of Children: Making a Difference, which features three extraordinary children who touched the world in unique ways: Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, and Ryan White.
Claire hopes that one day every county in Indiana will adopt this program in their community.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.
