Photo credit: crochetgal / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
If you’ve ever searched for a place to send your crocheted things that will do some good, this segment is for you. Today we’re going to take a look at one of the most popular crochet-related charities in the United States, Project Linus.
Project Linus got its start in 1995. That was the year that Parade Magazine ran an article about a three year old girl, Laura, who had spent more than two-thirds of her young life undergoing intensive chemotherapy. She had a special ‘blankie’ that she took with her every time she went to the hospital. After reading the article, Karen Louks felt inspired to begin providing homemade security blankets to Denver’s Rocky Mountain Children’s Cancer Center. In the eighteen years since then, Project Linus has provided nearly four million blankets to children in need.
Photo credit: hddod / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
Though it began by providing blankets to young cancer patients, Project Linus has expanded to nearly any hospital, social service, shelter, or child left in need by disaster. Project Linus ‘blanketeers’ donated handmade blankets to children affected by 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquakes in Haiti and the Japanese tsunami. If there is a disaster, you can bet that someone from Project Linus will be there, looking for children who need a blanket and a reminder that someone cares about them.
Project Linus will accept new, washable handmade afghans (knit or crochet), quilts, tied comforters, fleece blankets and receiving blankets in child-friendly colors and styles. All blankets must come from a smoke-free environment and be free of chemicals or strong odors.
Take a look! If you live in the United States, chances are good that there is a chapter or donation drop-off point in your area. If you would like to get involved with Project Linus, visit their website.
Project Linus may have begun in, but it’s not limited to, the USA.
Canada: https://sites.google.com/site/projectlinuscanada/
UK: http://projectlinusuk.org.uk/
For all I know, it may very well exist in other countries as well.
Thank you so much for that information!
I have been a volunteer for Project Linus for several years. We continue to expand our reach to bring comfort to children. It is one of the most rewarding charities that I have volunteered. The children and parents are so appreciative; and they remember the blanket and the comfort that it brought for many years after the delivery. I am so glad to see that this was a focus in this issue.
I have learned of Project Linus firsthand when my grand daughter was 18 months she had a routine toncil and adenoids surgery the surgery went well totally normal she came out of recovery and due to her age was admitted for the night right? Wrong within hours the absolutely uncomplicated surgery went totally downhill she left the recovery room still drowsy but nothing out of the ordinary when she made it to her room all was well for about 30 minutes when she started having a hard time with the pulse ox her oxygen saturations which had been in the high 90s where there are supposed to be to then dropping to between 88-92 so on came in the oxygen mask soon it became apparent that there was a HUGE problem her sats kept dropping to low 80s but a bounce back quickly and more o2 pressure within 30 minutes of this back and forth the nurse gave all his other cases to the other nurses so we were alarmed ( this was at children’s hospital so well experienced the nurse had been there 15 years) soon he came to stay in our room. Next was most terrifying as he was paging the doctor and the hospitalist her sats began to drop again this time to 46 and stayed under 60 and the whole floor of nurses were trying to intubate her but they were having troubles since the cords were hard to identify due to blood from the surgery needless to say PICU for 2 nights but she pulled through like a fighter she is by the time she made it to the general floor we were greeted with a visitor from Project Linus delivery and my lil Ladybug picked out her own blanket. When she starts to feel puny today she just comes to us and asks for her blanket and she comments how it makes her feel better. It makes us feel better too as we remember the comfort it gave us just knowing how much someone must have cared just to make this gift for someone that did not even know us. Now that I am learning to crochet my second project is for them (1st was hats for the NICU the twins were 13 weeks preemies) I have really been enjoying learning ( super beginner here only 6weeks so far) I am just really wanting to learn and also want to let you all know how much the Project Linus blanket meant to us so maybe you will want to make one and donate it…..
Great post.