Help for the homeless, one blanket at a time

Sackcloth & Ashes // A brand that gives back // Society B

Sackcloth+ Ashes was created on the founder’s desire to assist his own mother after learning that her life had taken a turn. When Bob Dalton realized that his hard-working, single mother had become homeless in 2013, he felt compelled to help. He started calling around to local homeless shelters to determine what they needed, and they all said blankets. Dalton started Sackcloth + Ashes with the vision to change this, by donating a blanket to a homeless shelter for each one that is purchased.

These high-quality blankets are made from cozy fleece and soft alpaca for indoor use, and study wool and acrylic for outdoor use. All blankets are fair trade, and made in the United States, Peru, or India. Their name is derived from ancient Jewish symbolism meaning “mourning” + “repentance.” The idea is that for every person who wraps themselves in one of these blankets, it symbolizes mourning over the homeless population and repentance by contributing to homeless shelters.

These blankets are sold worldwide, and Sackcloth + Ashes has provided over 4,500 blankets to homeless shelters to date. In a recent delivery trip to the Seattle Gospel Mission, the Sackcloth team did not even make it to the door of the building before the blankets were gone. “Life is short, and there is opportunity to make a small difference in someone’s life every day,” said Dalton.

See more of the Sackcloth + Ashes collection here.