Quilts will help refugees from Syria

As Mayor, I’d like to ask for your assistance. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (of which the Town of Dumfries is a member) is once again coordinating the regional effort to collect blankets for refugees who have fled Syria and other countries to a safe haven in the nation of Turkey due to the violence in the Middle East.

The Blanket Drive for Syrian Refugees is currently underway in the Town and will end 22 November 2014. This is the second NVRC drive; in 2013 the effort was a phenomenal success, with a huge outpouring of support from residents and businesses from across Northern Virginia. More than 18,000 blankets (12 tons) were collected and shipped to Turkey. The NVRC is blessed with the pro bono services of both Paxton Van Lines and Maersk who collected and shipped the blankets for free. Both firms have committed to assist in the efforts again this year. The NVRC’s goal is to fill several shipping containers that will then be delivered to Turkey where a local relief agency will distribute them to the refugee families.