R

enee Kaplan, a person 
with developmental dis-
abilities 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 blan-
kets 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 grow-
ing 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 rea-
son for Kaplan deciding to 
make blankets is because during 

Renee Kaplan began work in August on blankets for 
shelter animals. 

18 | FEBRUARY 17 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

Spreading 
Warmth

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

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.

PHOTOS COURESY OF JARC

