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Spreading Warmth Renee Kaplan began work in August on blankets for shelter animals. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
PHOTOS COURESY OF JARC
TOP: JARC person served Renee Kaplan and one of the blankets she’s made and donated to Michigan Animal Rescue League. BELOW: Renee Kaplan and her JARC Direct Care Worker Shoshana Rubenstein display a selection the blankets Renee made for the dogs and cats at Michigan Animal Rescue League.
enee Kaplan, a person with developmental disabilities being assisted by a JARC independent living skills (ILS) program, has used her hobby of making blankets during the pandemic to help others. On Jan. 29, Kaplan donated 25 handmade blankets to the Michigan Animal Rescue League (MARL) located in Pontiac. The washable, tie fleece blankets will be used for rescue kittens and puppies, adult dogs and cats, and any other use MARL has for them. Kaplan, 60, paid for all the supplies used to make the blankets and started working on them around August. Kaplan’s passion for giving back was instilled by her parents who, she said, showed her the importance of volunteering by volunteering a lot when she was growing up. Shoshana Rubenstein, the JARC direct care worker who regularly works with Kaplan, encouraged her to continue this passion project throughout the pandemic. This was Kaplan’s first time donating blankets somewhere, though she learned to make blankets in the 1980s. It’s been an on-and-off-again hobby ever since. Kaplan has been involved with JARC ILS for more than 25 years and worked at the JCC for over 40 years. Kaplan decided to start the project as she just wanted to do something for animals in shelters. She also had a rescued dog growing up. She has also set aside more blankets for foster kids at Orchards Children’s Services to be donated for Valentine’s Day. “I want to keep the animals warm and the kids warm, just to help them stay out of the cold,” Kaplan said. KEEPING BUSY Rubenstein says the main reason for Kaplan deciding to make blankets is because during
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FEBRUARY 17 • 2022
