The fact that New England Fleece's origins came out of another manufacturer's personal disaster makes its gift of 65,000 blankets to the victims of Hurricane Sandy even more poignant.

When the ferocious October 2012 storm displaced hundreds of New York and New Jersey residents, New England Fleece, makers of fleece blankets and accessories, answered the call from the American Red Cross, hospitals, and other agencies by shipping truckloads of their fleece throws and cot blankets to the relief organizations.

"If someone asked for help, we gave it to them," says Diane "Dede" Gillespie Moubayed '83, of New England Fleece. "Anyone who took it upon themselves to get involved, we gave them blankets. Giving back is how we started—it is a big part of what we do."

It's what she's been doing since her husband, Peter Moubayed, founded New England Fleece shortly before they married in 1996. They began in Providence, R.I., and later moved to their present location, an old factory building in Fall River, Massachusetts. The son, Zander, now 10, grew up skating boarding in the company's warehouses.

"Our little guy was absolutely raised on fleece. He loves it," Dede Moubayed says. "One night, not long after we starting making Coral fleece (a thick-pile, super plush fabric used mostly for bathrobes and blankets), he came running into our room after his shower, flung himself on the bed and wound himself up in the blanket and said, 'I can't live without fleece.'"

In 1995, the year before Peter Moubayed founded New England Fleece, a fire destroyed the factory of another fabric maker, Malden Mills in Lawrence, Mass., where Polartec (R) polar fleece was manufactured.

Moubayed contacted the owner and told him of his plans to start a blanket and fleece accessories business. He wanted quality material and offered to buy all the fleece stored in the Malden Mills' warehouses. A deal was stuck, and New England Fleece was born.

"In essence, our company rose out of the ashes," Dede Moubayed says. "Out of that terrible event, something good came for both of us. We were able to start our business, and he had some immediate cash."

They set up shop in sight of the vacated Imperial Knife Company building in Providence, and sold their wares at holiday kiosks in 22 malls up and down the East Coast.

After only a year in business, the Moubayeds started their "Fleece for Peace" program to do exactly what they did in response to Hurricane Sandy: assist in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts throughout the country and around the world.

Through various nonprofit organizations, New England Fleece sent blankets to Haiti in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake left more than a million people homeless. Blankets were shipped to Thailand when it was hit by a tsunami, and to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Regular customers include the Red Cross, UNICEF, and the National Guard as well as many hospitals, churches and shelters.

The company also gives its merchandise locally, to Boy Scout troops, schools, and for community fundraisers. In the early years, the Moubayeds gave money, setting aside a percentage of their proceeds for a particular charity.

"However much we could scrape together is what we gave," Dede Moubayed says. "Right at the start, giving was always at heart of our business." She recalls the many times when she filled a truck with blankets and hats and scarves and, with Zander in tow, delivered the goods where needed. "We're very grassroots and also very giant when a disaster happens," she says. But there is a fun side to the business, too, she adds, noting that New England Fleece blankets were used at both of President Barack Obama's inaugurations, and by the U.S. women's water polo team at the Olympics. There are full-size blankets, cot and baby blankets, two sizes of throws, Sherpa blankets, picnic blankets, to name a few. Colors range from taxi yellow to burgundy to basic black, tan, and navy blue. There are also five tie-dyed options.

"Recently we did a funky blanket for Barry Manilow," Dede Moubayed says. The multicolored blanket had a string of black polka dots, resembling the lights on a Broadway sign, and the singer's name.

Special advertising items, using a sport's group or organization's logo, are a big part of the business, too. New England Fleece also does a lot of work with the Boston Red Sox and other sports teams.

The fleece business wasn't the direction Moubayed had thought she'd be headed when she graduated from UNH with a degree in communication. She spent several years in marketing and advertising before deciding it wasn't the field for her. At the time when New England Fleece was still an idea, she was working at a gallery and thinking that maybe she'd buy it. But then her husband's plans became hers, and she went to work with the company.

She is a wearer of many hats; no two days are the same as she moves from meetings on hang tags or merchandise or accounting issues, to conducting online market research to stopping by Amos House, a nonprofit agency that works with Providence's homeless population, where she drops off donations.

Every year, New England Fleece gives 100,000 blankets to charities or aid groups. Most of those donations had been made by October, when Hurricane Sandy struck. But people asked, and the Moubayeds gave, putting their 2012 donations over 165,000.

"We've been very fortunate and that's made it easier to have big hearts," Moubayed says. "Whoever approaches us asking for help, we help. We never say no." ~