When artist Bobbie Burnett made a gift for her friend, Susie, who had leukemia, she couldn’t have imagined that the item would inspire her to create the Caring Collection, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Anne Arundel County. But the handcrafted gift was truly special and attracted the interest of people who saw it. Burnett soon realized that the gesture of kindness that she had extended to Susie also represented an opportunity to make an impact on the lives of others.
Born of love and a desire to support a significant cause, the Caring Collection, which consists entirely of volunteers, has raised funds to benefit cancer patients for nearly 40 years. Indeed, Burnett and her volunteers have touched the lives of many people and established a legacy of love. And it all began with one stained glass angel.
“In 1982, I created a 3D stained glass angel for Susie,” Burnett says. “When other people saw it, they wanted one. So I decided to establish the Caring Collection. I have been designing a new angel every year since that time. And I feel blessed that I’m able to offer comfort to people whose lives have been affected by cancer—whether they are patients, survivors, or family members.”
To date, Burnett and her volunteers have created more than 50,000 angels and raised $1.2 million. Proceeds provide funding for cancer research at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and patient care at DeCesaris Cancer Institute at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Burnett attributes the success of the Caring Collection to her volunteers, who she refers to as her family. Creating the angels is a labor of love, and each volunteer plays an integral role in the process by completing a specific task, such as foiling or soldering. Since they are handcrafted, a lot of time and attention to detail are required. Indeed, one angel typically passes through the hands of 15 volunteers before it’s complete.
“Each volunteer plays a part in what I call the angel assembly line,” Burnett says. “The angels are a symbol of love, so it’s important that the finished products represent the love and care that the volunteers put into creating them.”
The Caring Collection volunteers include Debbie Deschamps, Fran DeWolff, and Jerry Klinken—who have been involved with the organization for more than 30 years—Kris Morgan, Sally Small, Carroll Dudley, and many others. In addition to helping create the angels, Morgan, a photographer, also assists in achieving the Caring Collection’s mission by selling her photographs. Proceeds benefit cancer research.
Klinken met Burnett while taking a stained glass class through Anne Arundel Community College in the late 1980s. When he learned that Burnett had created the Caring Collection, he was interested in the organization and became a volunteer. Klinken assembles the parts that the other volunteers have cut, ground, foiled, and soldered into 3D standing angels and prepares them to be washed and packaged for shipment.
“It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that the angels that Bobbie and the volunteers create bring a smile to cancer patients and survivors or help provide comfort to those grieving the loss of a loved one,” Klinken says. “Bobbie has given joy and hope to thousands of people. This wouldn’t have been possible without her unwavering leadership and devotion to this amazing cause. Knowing her is one of the greatest joys in my life.”
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Burnett designed an angel for 2020 that is especially meaningful. Aptly named the Unity Angel, she hopes that it will help bring people together during these unprecedented times. With its arms outstretched, the angel seems to offer a welcoming gesture, which symbolizes a sense of comfort. Naturally, due to the pandemic, the creation of the angels posed obstacles that Burnett and her volunteers had to overcome. Instead of gathering together in Burnett’s basement studio, they had to work from home.
Burnett chose white, pink, and blue glass to create the Unity Angel, and for Burnett, the blue glass is especially symbolic. While sorting through her glass, she found some blue glass that she had used to make the angel for Susie. Since Burnett, 82, has decided that the Unity Angel will be the last one that she designs, it seemed fitting to create the first and last angel with the same blue glass. Indeed, she feels as if she has come full circle.
“The angels have been such a big part of my life, and with the creation of the Unity Angel, I hope that I’m ending the Caring Collection on a high note,” Burnett says. “I’ve made so many wonderful friends from all around the world. It’s been an amazing journey.”
For more information about the Unity Angel or to purchase one, call Burnett at 410-849-5333 or visit caringcollection.org. The cost is $40 (plus tax and shipping).
