About Something to Hold
It all began with the Sikma familyβs journey through infertility and loss. After years of trying to grow their family, they experienced both the miracle of pregnancy and the heartbreak of saying goodbye too soon. In that season of grief, God surrounded them with a community that reminded them they werenβt alone. From those first steps, Something to Hold was born β a mission built not just from their story, but from the love and faithfulness of many who have joined them along the way.
the Mission
Something to Hold gifts hand-tied blankets to comfort & surround families that are grieving the loss of a baby from miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. Through curated events, these blankets are community made, encouraging the call to gather & be the hands & feet of Jesus. Rooted in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we hope to give the comfort we have received from Him, sharing His love through every blanket & every gathering creating spaces of support & compassion. These blankets are used to reach families walking through loss so that we may carry on the lives of our littles ones & share the gospel along the way.
We are a Christian based, public nonprofit fulfilling the call from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 βBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.β
the Blankets
Our blankets are sent as a tangible comfort that are fiercely prayed over. Not only that, they carry an invitation into Something to Hold which offers fellowship, service & a place for purpose.
These blankets are made by a community of volunteers & gifted by generous donors. To request a blanket for a loved one or for yourself, visit our blanket request page here.
Since our first blanket went out in October of 2021, we have supported over 1,000 families across all 50 states.
1,121
Blankets Sent
50
States Reached
44
Volunteers Serving
39
Events Hosted
the Ministry
What began as a simple desire to gift comfort to families with empty arms has grown into something far deeper β a ministry rooted in the hope of heaven. At Something to Hold, we started by making & sending blankets to families grieving the loss of a baby. Each blanket was a way to offer something tangible when words fell short, a way to show up in the midst of heartbreak with softness, care, & presence.
But as we walked with more families, shared our own story, & witnessed the depth of sorrow & longing, we realized this mission was about more than blankets β it was about reminding people that this isnβt the end of their story. Our faith has taught us that every life, no matter how brief, has eternal significance. Through each blanket given, each gathering held, & every story shared, we are pointing hearts to the comfort weβve found in Jesus & the hope of being reunited with our babies in heaven one day. Our ministry exists not only to offer something to hold, but to offer Someone to trust β reminding every grieving heart that they are seen, loved, & never walking alone.
Read more about the hope we have & the message these blankets carry here.
Many trips to Joannβs from our whole family to stock up on fabric to keep blankets going out! β€·
• Making our first blanket gifted in October 2021 while sitting close to the blanket we made for ourselves.
& now we hope to bring STH to communities coast to coast!
The timeline of STH
May 2021
I made myself a fleece tie blanket for something to hold after our second miscarriage.
October 2021
On National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness day we asked if other families needed a blanket. 8 families were nominated & a community of people came together to have their blankets provided.
January 2022
After being asked for several blankets, we decided to pursue making more blankets, asking for donations, planning events & filling the gap of loving our neighbor through baby loss.
January 2023
We applied for our official nonprofit status & by March we were granted every license. What is usually a year long process, was 3 months for us! God is good!
Present
Sent over 1,100 blankets
Reached all 50 states
Completed countless service projects
Host regular events
& there is so much more to come!
the impact of these blankets shared here ‡
Our Board of Directors
Abigail Sikma, president
Founder of STH, infertility Mama of two babies in heaven & two sweet babies on earth.
Additionally, Abigail is the ceo wearing multiple hats. From implementing the decisions made by the board to representing for pr & service projects, from managing events & marketing to leading our donation development. Abigail is learning the ropes of running a nonprofit, a gift of a career personally picked by God. An unknown dream job that she holds along with her other title of βmomβ. As a former writer & blogger, Abigailβs most favorite project is the childrenβs book she wrote, illustrated & self-published βOur Blue Abode, the house with an empty roomβ an ode to their walk through infertility & loss & the homes they created in the wait.
Danielle Venhuizen, vice president
Danielle is a wife and a mom to five children earthside and one babe in heaven. Danielle has always had a heart for those who have suffered miscarriages, still births, and infant loss, but after losing one of her own babies to miscarriage, a passion to serve this community of moms and families was ignited. Something to Hold is touching moms and families each and every day and the stories that we hear about the way that these blankets and events have touched lives is a true testament to the Lord's provision and work in this nonprofit. Danielle is blessed to be a part of the mission of Something to Hold, comforting those with the comfort that we have received from our God.
Megan DeKam, secretary
My name is Megan DeKam and I am a wife and a mother to 2 earthly babies and 2 heavenly babies.
I'm thankful for STH and their passion for comforting others with the comfort we have received in Christ. The love, support, and instant community of moms who understand the different emotions that go into pregnancy loss was, and continues to be, a huge blessing. Being a mom of heavenly babies is never easy, but I am forever grateful for the STH community and pray many other mothers feel loved and supported through them as well.
Becca Dykstra, treasurer
Becca is a wife and mom of three, with a heart for women walking through the pain of infant loss. She has had several of her close friends and family members who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of a baby. Through this ministry, she has found a meaningful way to reach out, offer comfort, and share Godβs peace with those who are hurting.
Serving on the board of Something to Hold is both a blessing and a calling for Becca. She is honored to be part of a ministry that lovingly supports grieving mothers, giving them the opportunity to experience the hope and healing that only God can provide.
Our Team
Jessica Wilson, finance manager
Joya Sikma, ops coordinator
Your Support
Something to Hold is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit organization (EIN: 92-1427675), and every aspect of our mission is made possible through the generosity of others. Each blanket we gift is handmade and gifted with loveβcompletely funded by donations. Our support gatherings, keepsakes, and special events are hosted thanks to the faithful support of individual donors and community sponsors. We are deeply grateful for every person who chooses to partner with us in bringing comfort, remembrance, and hope to families grieving the loss of a baby.
Where the name βSomething to Holdβ came from β
When donations came in through Venmo, we needed a name. Something to Hold started as a simple description. But it stuck. A few months later, more requests came in. We kept saying yes.
I still remember sitting on the floor of my in-lawsβ house tying blankets with friends and dreaming about what this could become. In January 2022, we hosted our first blanket-making event in a greenhouse. It was full of warmth, laughter, and light. That night, we realized this wasnβt just about grief. It was about hope, healing, and community.
Weβve been making blankets ever since.
Itβs not just about blankets β
Today, Something to Hold is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that sends comfort to families across the countryβfrom early pregnancy loss to infant loss. We host events, visit churches and schools, and speak on how to love our neighbors through the heartbreak of baby loss. The blanket is no longer the endβitβs the invitation. A way in. A symbol of hope. A reminder that this pain has purpose.
When we officially filed as a nonprofit in January 2023, we prayed over every step. Our board of directors, our volunteers, and every family we serveβitβs all God-ordained. And we donβt take that lightly.
Our prayer is that every blanket received is more than soft fabric and tied knots. We pray each one carries the weight of love, the generosity of those who fund and tie it, and the hope of a story much bigger than ourselves.
Because yes, our mission is to gift blanketsβbut itβs also to give hope, to encourage healing, and to point every grieving heart to the gospel. For every empty arm, we want to offer something to hold.
