Aviva Stanoff
Vista, CA
The gift of a virtual hug
For nearly a decade, Aviva Stanoff has designed weighted blankets that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are effective. The need stemmed from raising a special needs son.
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged through the world, Stanoff saw the blankets as a way to give a hug to folks who need it. So she decided if people will cover the cost of shipping, she will send a blanket to a requested individual who could use it.
“Everybody needs a hug right now. It’s almost like a swaddling effect,” Stanoff said. “It was a blessing because people were able to do something. I was able to do something. It made us all feel like it’s all going to be OK. That was my toe in the water to help.”
Stanoff said being able to contribute gave her a feeling of affirmation. “Everything will be OK. You just have to give in this moment and put it out there and they will connect.”
She said the generosity shown by her contemporaries and colleagues was also inspiring.
“The part that’s the most fascinating is there was more money offered to pay for other families than for weighted blankets to be sent to their recipients. That’s our community. This was just my mailing list from my home furnishings design world. It was our design tribe,” Stanoff said. “When I sent the email out, I had to turn the computer off because requests were coming in so fast. There were more requests than weighted blankets. Then it was people offering to pay for another family and another family.”
Stanoff said there are still some blankets available, and requests can be made by emailing her at aviva@avivastanoff.com.
