By Heather Bell
RADFORD – For more than 20 years, the New River Valley-Radford chapter of Project Linus has been making and collecting handmade blankets for children, under the direction of Chapter Coordinator Penny Sweet and many, many community volunteers.
An upcoming community work day will give the public a chance to help with their efforts.
The mission of Project Linus is to “provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer ‘blanketeers’, as described on the organization’s website.
The first chapter was founded in 1995. Sweet started the NRV Project Linus chapter in June, 2000, and has since provided thousands of blankets to children through area hospitals, doctor’s offices, and first responder agencies.
A secondary mission of Project Linus is to “provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children,” and that is certainly the case for the local chapter. A core group of volunteers can always be found at their Blanket Day events, as well as countless student groups, community groups and members of the community-at-large.
The NRV-Radford chapter of Project Linus will hold a Blanket Day event on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Grove United Methodist Church in Radford from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some fabric and supplies will be available for use. Participants are welcome to bring fleece, crochet, or knitting projects and work on their blankets at the event. Donations are always accepted.
The chapter says it will use 1-1/4 yard length pieces of child-friendly prints of fleece, no solid colors. Chapter personnel recommend Blizzard or Anti-Pill fleece, not the plush style as that sheds when it is cut. The Blanket Day sponsors will also have sewing machines set up so participants can sew a blanket.
Anyone planning to drop off blankets at Blanket Day should be sure each one is labeled with the donor’s name and address (address labels are best for this).
Lunch will be provided.
If conditions do not allow for an in-person event, a drop-off event will be held instead. Any change in plans will be announced as far in advance as possible.