Homeless Memorial Blanket Project Previews at Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville on November 17

Event will honor emergency first responders who aid people without adequate housing; Mo, the first fire truck to arrive at the Flight 93 crash site on 9/11, will be present

•  When: Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm ET

•  Where: Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania

•  Items needed in advance of the #MemorialBlanket display in New York City on Dec. 21: hand-crafted blankets and quilts, necessities for tote bags to be distributed to individuals and families without homes

•  More information at https://memorialblanket.org

Flight 93 National Memorial Blanket Preview at https://www.facebook.com/events/2183050539314297/

Carlisle, Pa. — Homeless Memorial Blanket Project will gather at Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania for a preview event to display handmade blankets and quilts for people experiencing homelessness and to honor the service and dedication of first responders, on Tuesday, November 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.  Members of the news media are invited.

Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department's fire chief Chris Meyer will honor the blanket preview by bringing Mo, the borough's fire engine and the very first responder of all first-responding vehicles at the Flight 93 crash site when heroic passengers took action during the attack on September 11, 2001.

Blanket Project volunteers are preparing backpacks filled with necessities for distribution to first responders, who regularly respond when people are displaced or in a crisis, as well as blankets and quilts for distribution for families and individuals without homes.

The event on November 17, which is free and open to everyone, is taking place in advance of the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project's display of blankets and quilts at Stuyvesant Square Park in New York City on December 21, 2026.

2026 marks the sixth year of the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project, a grassroots effort that brings together thousands of people who knit, crochet, quilt, sew, collect, transport, and deliver handmade blankets and quilts for neighbors experiencing homelessness. In addition to the distribution of blankets and quilts on December 21, tote bags with necessities will be made available for people without homes. For details on donating handmade blankets and quilts and tote bag items, visit https://memorialblanket.org.

The Lower Susquehanna Synod and Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are participating in the November 17 display, joining community members, first responders, partners, and friends from across the region.

"When Captain Chris Meyer said he'd bring Mo, we all just sat in silence. That truck has seen so much," said Lutheran Deacon Marsha Roscoe, co-founder of the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project, expressing her delight with the support given to the project by Shanksville area first responders and clergy.

"I'm also honored that our own Lower Susquehanna Synod Bishop Stephen Herr will be there," said Roscoe. "But this is actually a two-bishop event. Allegheny Synod Bishop Kevin Shock will join us as well. And our first responder bags — hundreds of the thousands we've collected to give to first responders in New York City will go to the Shanksville Fire Department as well as St. Mark's in Shanksville for their emergency pantry and clothes closet."

Mo made a trip to the White House on the first anniversary of 9/11. Mo has responded numerous times when central Pennsylvania needed help, on far less famous emergency calls. Every President of the United States since the terrorist attacks has visited Mo, which Shanksville has preserved as a testimony to courage and rapid response when tragedy strikes. Mo has since been retired and now occupies a place of honor in the borough.

Last year's Memorial Blanket display took place in Denver, Colorado, on December 21, 2025, followed by distribution of the blankets and quilts to those in need.

The Homeless Memorial Blanket Project is hosted by the Charles Bruce Foundation (https://charlesbrucefoundation.com), which is located in central Pennsylvania. The Dec. 21 display will be an arts installation by this nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.