Lynne McAtee
Founder
Binkeez for Comfort® honors the legacy of Executive Director Susan Posterro's mother, Lynne, who has sewn over 50,000 blankets for children in third world countries. Binkeez for Comfort’s blankets were a natural extension to that spirit of giving, providing support for children here in the United States, who are not afforded the gift of health.
"Plant seeds of good, and when they are meant to
grow they will."
- Lynne McAtee
It started with my mom’s heart, her soul and my being to carry forward her legacy and life story of giving to others.
Her heart work from her sewing machine has traveled all over the world from Africa to Mongolia to South America. She has now sewn close to 50,000 swaddle blankets that are the inspiration to our now BinkeezSWADDLE.
Together our journey of Binkeez started as a baby blanket business where we took swaddle blankets and burp clothes to make Babeez Cakes. All profit from the sale of Babeez Cake went to support swaddle blankets for the UMASS NICU and my mom’s missionary swaddle blankets for children in the most remote parts of our country.
The quote shared with Baystate Parent in March of 2011 best describes my mom best:
“I like to be a helper to the helpers that give their lives volunteering for others. Working with my daughter keeps me young. We keep each in line in differenet ways."
On the legacy of Emalynne McAtee as written for the Forward of the ABC’s of Love: A Love Story and the story behind Binkeez for Comfort® ~Nicole DeRosa Cannella
"It starts with a spark.
A spark of inspiration bringing creativity to fruition.
A leading light that beckons a timeless tale.
As an author of two children’s books, my personal flame was one sparked by compassion;
to tell tales through a child’s eyes to encourage empathy and caring through creativity.
The book you hold traces its spark back to a time of trials in the 1940s; to a letter written with profound love from a soldier father to his toddler daughter. It was a letter that lit a fire in that little girl’s heart to carry love forward and be led by faith.
The daughter of a seamstress and a soldier, that little girl grew in faith and fortitude—determined to live as salt and light and to plant proverbial seeds of love.
That same light of faith coursing through the years and passing hands from that once toddler daughter all grown and caring for her own gracious girl.
And as a spark spreads to a flame, a faith fire was brought to fruition in the heart of the granddaughter of the seamstress and faithful soldier, who, though not a mother herself, longed to nurture that spark and cover others in its warmth.
Here grows the love story; one of two women’s goals to be a part of God’s grace and to wrap as many as could be touched in metaphorical and literal love.
Susan, the daughter of a missionary and granddaughter of that faith- filled soldier now waged her own war against anguish and sorrow in the form of blankets.
Sparks that led to seeds that led to the founding of an organization whose hopeful goal is to offer comfort through tangible touch and unsurpassed softness.
This book carries heartbeats of the past; of a soldier, a seamstress, a missionary, and a dreamer who wanted to do good.
Equally important, The ABCs of Love echoes the heartbeat of little fighters, soldiers in their own right, who have graced heaven’s door and those who have survived to live on and spread their own sparks.
Each one, each letter, each seed, each alphabet angel, wrapped in the warmth from a spark that started over 70 years ago.
And it’s still aglow.
How will you leave your mark? What seeds will you plant? Where will you find your spark ?
Seek it with faith and love and let God caress and bless the rest."
With Love,
~Nicole DeRosa Cannella, Author
Leaving a Mark The Ribbit Exhibit
