Security Blankets

When he was 10 years old, Ollie McNeil was struck by an idea when his mom was tucking him into bed one night. He was a bit chilly and uncomfortable and complained to his mom who responded to the teachable moment. “I explained to Ollie that there are people who are not as fortunate as us in our community that don’t have a home, a warm bed, or even a blanket to keep them comfortable and safe at night,” said Brooke McNeil. What his mother shared stuck in Ollie’s brain, and he had a lightbulb moment and reached out to his mom to do something about it. “I was originally inspired to start Buddy Blankets after talking to my mom and learning that some people don’t have a home to sleep in at night, or even one blanket to keep them warm,” said Ollie.

Ollie first reached out to his dad, Ryan McNeil, with the City of Surprise Police Department, who contacted the Victim’s Advocate with the police department who works directly with organizations who would benefit from the Buddy Blanket drive. “There are countless times I have sought out the support for a family or victim in need,” said Sandra Espinoza, City of Surprise Police Department Victim’s Advocate. “We love the blanket drive, what it stands for, the collaboration it requires, and the outcome of providing blankets to children and families in need.”

Additionally, Ollie, an avid hockey player and goalie for Mission Arizona approached his coach, Jeremy Goltz to help with the blanket drive effort. “I found it very cool and ambitious for a ten year old to even be thinking about something like this let alone taking the steps to make it happen. It is quite impressive for a kid this young to have such a drive,” said Goltz. Ollie spoke to his teammates and encouraged them to contribute and collection bins were placed at the hockey rink and the City of Surprise Police Department in order for the community to donate to the effort. “Ollie has always been a stand out goalie and just the ultimate team player. His character speaks for itself both on and off the ice,” said Coach Goltz. The inaugural drive provided 150 blankets to organizations throughout the Valley and the effort has increased each and every year. “To see how it’s grown with the support and encouragement of the adults Ollie has reached out to is just amazing,” said Ollie’s mom, Brooke. This past year, to drum up support, a friendly competition was proposed between his school, Canyon Ridge and Kingswood Elementary School. The school that collected the most blankets provided school spirit gear to the losing principal to wear on spirit Friday. Kingswood collected 358 blankets and Canyon Ridge came in at 297 total. Jill Hoppe, Canyon Ridge principal, and Ollie had to represent the Kingswood Knights donned in purple at morning drop off.

With assistance from the City of Surprise Police Department, Mission Arizona Hockey Club, the Canyon Ridge and Kingswood Elementary School communities, Ollie collected more than 870 blankets and exceeded the initial goal of 500. The blankets are distributed to several organizations including: StreetLightUSA, Homeward Bound, Eve’s Place Inc., New Life Center, and United Methodist Outreach Ministries (UMOM) New Day Centers. One of the benefitting organizations is New Life Center, a domestic violence shelter in Arizona, serving men, women and children fleeing abuse. New Life provides basic needs for residents during their stay, such as food, clothing, shampoo, and blankets. Many survivors come to the New Life Center with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Before a family enters the shelter, the team makes up their room with new bedding, placing towels in the bathroom, and stocking hygiene items. Blankets donated by Ollie ensure that new adults and children coming into New Life Center feel comfortable and safe when they sleep at night. A blanket can be security for the children and adults they serve. When residents exit the center, they are able to take all the bedding with them, so they can have it in their new home. Ollie’s efforts are greatly appreciated by New Life Center. “If everyone had a heart like Ollie, the world would be a better place,” said Devin DeFendis, Community Development Director.

What started as a simple gesture has grown into a community-wide effort spearheaded by Ollie. “Each year, I am inspired to start another blanket drive knowing that each blanket we collect keeps one more person warm at night,” said Ollie. He has aspirations to own a large corporation as a future goal on the same scale as Walmart or Target in order to have additional resources to grow his blanket drive. “Ollie will continue to be a leader in our community,” said Jordan Moreno, Director of Marketing and Events for Homeward Bound. “We can’t wait to see what he does next!”

Canyon Ridge Principal Jill Hoppe and Ollie McNeil pose with blankets at the school.

Canyon Ridge Principal Jill Hoppe and Ollie McNeil pose with blankets at the school.