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Babson Student's Company Helps Keep Homeless Warm

MIDDLETON (CBS) - As the cold grips our area, a story about blankets. Yes, for warmth, but also to help the homeless.

The business is called Beantown Blankets in Middleton. Buy one and they'll donate a second blanket to a homeless shelter. It's the brainchild of a college kid.

"Beantown Blankets is a one for one blanket company," said Maxwell Perry who was a Babson freshman when he came up with the idea for the company as a class project.

Beantown Blankets
Beantown Blankets (WBZ-TV)

He's a senior now and still running the show. The goal is to do well by doing good.

"For every blanket we sell we donate another blanket to a homeless individual or a shelter," he said.

The blankets are fleece on one side and waterproof on the other.

"They're great for picnics, sporting events, concerts, pets, to keep in the car," Maxwell said. Buy one for $30, and they'll donate a second to a shelter. "Our first year, when we started, we donated about 150 blankets, and today we've donated close to 30,000, and we've reached shelters in more than 17 states across the U.S," Maxwell explained.

Maxwell Perry
Maxwell Perry (WBZ-TV)

Beantown Blankets also sells bags, totes and beanies.  A lot of the donations come from sales to other businesses that buy large numbers of blankets as gifts for clients.

The "doing good" doesn't stop at the shop. Beantown hires people with disabilities from the Northeast Arc in Danvers to fold and pack the blankets.

"I think it's a good idea because a lot of people are on the streets," says Kristen Davarich, one of the packers.  "I'm helping people and I'm learning a lot."

Maxwell was inspired to help the homeless by his mother, who always showed great kindness to people in need.

Since Beantown Blankets was born as a class project, Maxwell got an "A", right?  "No!  I think I got a B+," he said, laughing at the irony.

In the future, Maxwell would like to be able to hire more people in need to work at Beantown Blankets.

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