High Point - Culp Home Fashions, the fabric manufacturing division of US circular knitter Culp, Inc. has launched a new charitable initiative to sew mattress fabric remnants into blankets for local homeless charities.

As part of its Spread the Warmth initiative, Culp’s fabric mill in Stokesdale, North Carolina, donated blankets to the High Point-based charity, Cover the City. It also shipped blankets to Culp’s facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, which were then donated to the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless.

Iv Culp, president and chief executive officer of Culp, Inc. said: "All of our US mattress fabrics facilities are certified as ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ facilities and 95% or more of the waste materials created in the manufacturing process are recycled, including remnant fabric.

"But with this Spread the Warmth initiative, we are able to use the remnant material to make blankets that provide warmth to people in need in our local communities, serving a higher purpose than simply recycling it.”

Senior vice president and chief human resources officer, Teresa Huffman added: "As a company, we always strive to support the communities in which we operate. We’re excited to have found a new way to do so. It’s an honour to work with the caring people at Cover the City and the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless who devote their time and energy to charitable initiatives. They make the world a bit brighter, and in this case, a bit warmer.”

In January, Culp donated over 250 blankets to both charities. The company hopes to donate more later this year as they plan on participating in Cover the City’s November blanket drive.