As 2019 drew to a close, GLY employees decided to take a few moments out of their work days to celebrate each other while at the same time, give back to the community we cherish. With the Mary’s Place at The Regrade project wrapping up and preparing for a February 2020 grand opening, it seemed fitting to do something special for those who will walk through the shelter’s doors over the next several months.

On December 3, we launched the Warm Up for the Holidays campaign. Ten GLY project teams were tasked with making 20 fleece knot blankets for Mary’s Place [representing Mary’s Place 20th Anniversary]. Each fleece knot blanket is one-of-a-kind, made with love from many GLY hands.

Each team had ten days to tie their blankets in order for us to deliver them to Mary’s Place before the holidays. The objective? To spend time together over some warm food + drink and conversation while making something warm for others.

Design Manager Heather Johnston ties blankets alongside her Microsoft project teammates.

The Block 38 project team meant business. Just like their project, they have high expectations for quality!

The results

In all, we created 207 blankets. It took 25 moving boxes, the GLY service van, and a team of five elves to deliver them to Mary’s Place. We hope that the variety of bright and colorful fabrics bring smiles and warmth to those who need it most.

GLY and Mary’s Place pause for a pic with a few of the blankets on delivery day.

And a few unanticipated results…

• We witness the power of many on the jobsite every day. It takes a village to build a building. In this scenario, we witnessed each project team quickly complete their blankets with all hands on deck—enjoying the experience to boot. It’s another inspiring example of how powerful we can be when we all work toward a common goal.
• Prepping 200+ fleece knot blankets is much more time consuming than you’d think! A group of employees spent many hours preparing the material, forcing them to slow down and catch up with coworkers they don’t normally get a chance to talk to. The quality time spent together was a welcome silver lining, a reminder of the importance of camaraderie at work.

Risk Management Coordinator Carolyn Brady and President + CEO Ted Herb prep the material for the blankets.

The power of two is greater than the power of one when it comes to fleece-knot blankets!

As we head into 2020, this holiday campaign reminds us that above all, People Matter Most. Cheers to a new year and new stories of community, collaboration, and camaraderie!