Ohio Comforter Bash returns to Kidron

While the weather outside may be cold, volunteers in Northeast Ohio are working together to bring warmth and comfort to those who need it most. Volunteers will put their faith into action as they gather March 12-14 to create handmade comforters for people around the world.

The Ohio MCC Comforter Bash will take place at the MCC Material Resources Center, 4080 Kidron Road in Kidron, Thursday, March 12 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, March 13 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, March 14 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Snacks, coffee and tea will be provided but pack your own food for meals.

Participants will work together to combine handmade comforter tops, warm batting and sturdy backing fabric into warm, durable comforters. The squares of fabric that make up the comforter tops have already been sewn together, so volunteers will primarily knot the layers together.

Organizers have the goal of making 300 comforters over the three-day event. Each handmade comforter is unique and provides warmth and a message to people that their needs are not forgotten.

“MCC sends comforters to places and people that have been affected by war, conflicts or natural disasters,” said Sarah Doerksen, MCC Great Lakes material resources coordinator in Kidron. “The comforters provide hope and a reminder that they are loved and cared for. The fact that someone they never met has taken the time to make them a handmade comforter, to pray over them and their situation, shows them they have not been forgotten in their hardship.”

This is the sixth Comforter Bash held in Northeast Ohio. Last year 495 volunteers knotted 341 comforters over two days in Apple Creak. The inaugural event took place January 2020, and the Ohio event has grown each year since then (with a cancellation in 2021).

This year the event will be held for the first time at the new MCC Material Resources Center in Kidron. Funded by local donations, the 11,000-square-foot building opened in May 2025. The space offers opportunities for community members and groups to take part in hands-on service and assemble all six of MCC’s kits, along with comforters.

Event organizers are excited to host the event in the new building, and they are getting creative to make the best use of space.

“We will have a mixture of knotting and trimming comforters in both our workroom and warehouse spaces, along with binding finished comforters in the conference room and offices,” Doerksen said. “We’ve also added an extra day to allow more volunteers to join.”

The Ohio Comforter Bash is part of the larger MCC Great Winter Warm-up campaign, which has the goal of collecting 10,000 comforters by March 31.

Last year MCC shipped 39,616 comforters to communities in Malawi, Gaza, Ukraine, Canada and the U.S. including Puerto Rico.

“We often take for granted how many blankets we have in our homes — sitting on couches, waiting on guest beds or stored in linen cupboards waiting for the seasons to change. Or we can easily go to the store and get a new one if needed,” Doerksen said. “A comforter may not seem very important to us, but to someone who doesn’t have enough blankets for their family — or maybe no blanket at all — it can have a huge impact on them and their quality of life.”

Azel Cyizanye received a comforter from MCC's partner Brave Heart Foundation while living in Meheba Refugee Settlement Camp in Zambia. The comforter, made up of colorful squares within squares, serves a double purpose in Cyizanye's one-room house in a Zambian refugee camp. During the day, the 89-year-old refugee hangs the comforter across a line in her room to divide her sleeping area from the sitting area. At night she takes the comforter down to cover herself and stay warm.

Khayria also received comforters from MCC in Gaza. The project distributed humanitarian assistance including food and hygiene supplies to displaced or conflict-affected households in Gaza, the primary recipients being people returning to their bombed houses in Northern Gaza.

“I couldn’t help it when I saw the comforter,” she said. “I wanted to hold it in my arms and keep my children warm with it. It’s frigid; it’s cold. At night your legs and heart feel like it’s going to stop because of the cold. So if you have a warm cover, you can cover up.”

Today MCC provides humanitarian relief, encourages sustainable development and strengthens peacebuilding initiatives in more than 40 countries. Comforters and blankets have been part of MCC’s relief resources ever since the end of World War II.

“We’re excited that an event like the Comforter Bash can bring people together in a world where many things can feel divisive,” Doerksen said. “We will gather with friends and strangers with the common goal of providing warmth to those living in vulnerable situations around the world.”

Organizers invite people of all ages and abilities to join the Comforter Bash March 12-14. No experience is necessary, and all supplies and instruction will be provided.

Volunteers are encouraged to enter the Material Resources Center through the donation doors at the center of the building. Coffee/tea and snacks will be available throughout the day, but meals will not be provided. Volunteers are welcome to bring food or visit one of the local restaurants in Kidron.

For more information visit www.mcc.org/ohio-comforter-bash.