August Newsletter 2020

 

Hello Blanketeers,

 

    Apologies for not getting in touch with all of you earlier in the month by blog.  Just want to assure you that the work is going on.  Blankets are coming in from many of you who are staying home and using that home time to sew.  Wonderful blankets have been submitted over the past month.  Patsy and I have been able to keep up our distribution at the same level as before corona virus trapped us all.  We simply have a new way of functioning.

    We have been happy to pick up from the porches of blanket makers to collect the amazing blankets they have been creating.  They have been labeled, packaged, and delivered to children all over the Wasatch front.  

 

     For example, the Children’s Justice Center in West Jordan has received blankets and has  been especially appreciative in recognizing your work on their face book page.  Your blankets are given to the children who experience the traumatic forensic examinations.  The comfort of the security blanket at this stressful time in their lives is especially important.  A picture from their face book page here: 

 

Maybe you were close to the accidental plane crash into a house in West Jordan.  We were asked by the coordinator in Virginia to be sure that the 3-year old boy (Cody) who survived that crash would get a blanket.  That was done and I hope it gives him some comfort as he recovers from the burns he sustained.   

 

We are looking forward to seeing all of you sometime soon and meeting together soon.  Missing our fun days chatting, looking over each other’s work, and generally socializing.  Sometime soon we hope.  In the meantime, keep up the important work.  Rest assured that our mission is still successful, and we are all devoted to helping kids cope by making sure they have a security blanket to cuddle with. 

Hugs,  Millie and Patsy

July 2020 Newsletter Project Linus 

Hello Blanketeers,

    Wishing you all good health and patience to deal with our new way of living safely.  Nobody wants to be sick!  

                                                The New Protocol For Quilting

     If you want to do something bad enough you can surely find a way to make it happen.  That’s what I have learned about quilters.  Usually part of quilting guilds is to spend time sewing together in close proximity.  Obviously, they can’t do that at this time of pandemic.  So, here is what “Sweet Charity Sisters”, who donate to Project Linus, have worked out.

    They gather in sets of 10 on a given day at a large home. Then they are sent to separate quilt frames that are set in separate locations.  Two go to the deck, two go to the lawn, two go to the family room, and two go to the front room, and two work in the basement area.  Of course - they all wear masks and wash hands regularly.  Usually they would have lunch together, but have had to give that part up.  I will be picking up their second batch of quilts next week. Thank you Claudeen Luckart and Sharon Allred and all your quilters.  

                                     Service Projects for Kids

     When school is out and recreation sites are in limited safe access, it is difficult to keep children occupied.   Jackie Cohen, who is one of our regular and active blanketeers, had a great idea.  She had them make blankets.   Last week her daughter, Michele, was in town with her two foster children.  She wanted to impress the lesson of doing service for children who are less fortunate, ill, or in need of a security blanket.  And also, Antonisha who is 7 and Anthony who is 6 needed to have a fun project.  And don’t they look like they are having fun?!   

                                    Business as Usual  

     Thanks to all of you blanketeers for finding ways to continue to make blankets and send them through Project Linus.  In June we received 217 blankets in and distributed 216.  We are so proud of all of you for your continued effort. 

Stay safe, 

Millie and Patsy 

SlC Chapter Project Linus June 4, 2020

Hello Blanketeers,

                                    Our Uncertain Times

      Yes, these are difficult times.  But as our national organization director says: “The need for blankets continues and in fact may be greater now than ever before.”  Dropping them off at usual sites has become difficult as many of the stores have been closed.  Also some locations that we deliver to usually, are temporarily closed or operating under restrictions on what can be accepted at the site.  

    Patsy and I are coordinating that distribution effort and most of you are aware of what we accept and how to get it to us.  If you are not sure about any of this please contact Millie or Patsy before making blankets for our chapter.  We can let you know specifications and needs before you begin a project.

    Please continue to make blankets as you are able.  We will help you with fabric and will arrange drop off and pick up with you.  

Blanket Types

     Sine we are not able to meet in large areas together, we have not been getting our usual number of the fringe fleece blankets.  If you have a large space to work at home on fringe fleece, contact us for instructions and perhaps we will have enough fabric to supply your project.

                          Staying Safe - And Working Together

     Since I (Millie) have a large outside deck to work on this is something I tried that worked out really well for kids that need to be occupied as well as for us who need blankets finished.

I prepared the fleece and did the cutting.  Then on a lovely day I had my little great grandkids over.  They are grades  K – 1st – 3rd and 5^th;  and I have not been able to spend time with them for months.  I wore my mask by the way.  I served them lunch outside and then each one finished a blanket – the part where they push the fringe thru the holes.  They were so proud that they could make something for a child less fortunate than themselves.  

                      Here are the proud kids:  Phoenix,Emillia,Valiant and Bravery

                          Riverton Blanket Group

      Jackie Cohen has organized another parking lot “meet-up” set for June 26^th.  She will coordinate directly with you about time and place.  Thanks to Jackie is overdue.  Her effort is huge and your Riverton Group is very productive.  

     The tradition of quilting and sewing as a social event is missing from our lives right now.  We all miss spending time, working and sharing together in the group setting.  But, please keep in touch and let us know what you need to keep on sewing, knitting, crocheting and getting things out to kids in crisis.  

     You are an amazing and productive group of blanketeers.  Your efforts have not been halted, only made less social.  We all look forward to seeing you somewhere else than on Zoom!  

     

Sending love and hugs,

Millie and Patsy

Project Linus News – May – 2020 

Dear Blanketeers,

     Thank you for your amazing continued work through the weeks and weeks of the pandemic. Obviously, the quilting groups have not been able to meet together, but quilts have still been coming in.  We all miss the social part of getting together with our friends and creating beautiful quilts and blankets for kids.  But you know how to create these gifts for kids and you have been doing just that on your own.   Patsy and I have been distributing them.  Also, Jackie Cohen has been successfully doing tail gate “meet-ups” with blanketeers in the parking lot of Riverton Senior Center.  

     The need is still there for security blankets.  Recently there has been an increased need in battered women’s shelters, in homeless family shelters, as well as for Refugees.  

     I was thrilled to get a call from St. Marks NICU yesterday asking for baby blankets.  Things are beginning to open in safe ways, so let’s not be discouraged.  We are all learning to do what is necessary in different ways than we used to do them. 

    We will not be able to meet in June at OSLC as the church is not open yet.  Please keep in touch and let us know if you need anything to work on or if you need your blankets picked up.  We can do that without face to face contact and without putting anyone in danger of the virus. 

     It is important work that you do for children.  Thank you for everything you have done.  

 Hope to see you all face to face soon.   

Millie and Patsy

March 2020 PL Newsletter

  HI BLANKETEERS     

     February 3^rd we woke up to amazing crippling snow.  We followed the lead of all the schools in the valley and we called a “snow day” time out from blanket day.   I was able to send a notice via email to everyone in our google group that morning.  If we ever have to cancel a blanket day I will always send a notice thru google groups. 

    Though we missed our time together, we were able to get in touch with almost everyone individually during the next few days after the snow.  The blankets came in and the blankets went out as usual.  We delivered 217 blankets.  

  Blanket Making Days for March 

Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church – Monday March 2^nd – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Riverton Senior Center – Friday March 27^th – 9:30 to noon

   Of course, everyone is invited to join us on either or both days.  Please come and enjoy.

             The Circle of Helping and Generous Hands

      Blanketeer, Jackie Cohen, pointed out an interesting sequence of events that started with an “in kind” donation and then passed thru several sets of hands. Finally ended up as blankets for children. Here is how it happened:

      Bernadette Turner, who belongs to an active local quilting group , Quilts for Kids ,found that she had excess flannel fabric.  Since she only uses quilt cotton, she offered the flannel to Jackie who picked up a carload of fabric.  Pictured here. 

Jackie then sorted the fabric and matched a dozen or so flannel pieces together to be used for the fronts and backs of receiving blankets. 

    Then the fabric was taken to JoAnn Hurst who happened recently to offer free of charge hem stitching service to our chapter.  Now the edges of the matched pieces were ready to be crocheted.   

     From there the crochet work was done by other blanketeers and the fabric became beautiful artful receiving blankets such as the one pictured here.  Unique and lovingly made gifts for babies in the NICU are the outcome of this chain of generosity.

                   “Knit and Crochet Along”

Again this year PL Headquarters is sponsoring this event.   You can participate and receive the info by going to projectlinus.org and clicking on the event link.  You will receive the pattern for the quilt and the steps to completion monthly.  Register before March 7^th.   Your registration fee of $15.00 for the project will be credited to our chapter if you identify us as the recipient.   Have fun!  

Thanks for all you do and best wishes for a Happy Spring,    

Millie and Patsy

February 2020 PL Newsletter 

Hello Blanketers,

Our year 2020 is off to a great start.  We have already had two successful blanket making days. The depleted shelves from the Christmas rush are beginning to fill up again.  

Blanket making days for February:

February 3^rd – Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (or as long as you want to stay)

February 28^th – Riverton Senior Center – 9:30 am to noon

SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

A volunteer – JoAnn Hurst - has agreed to do hemstitching for us free of charge!   So now the people who have been paying $4.00 for every receiving blanket to be stitched will be able to experience some financial relief.  Thanks so very much JoAnn.  

A volunteer, Dani Vaughn, has donated more yarn.  I do have quite a bit and you are welcome to come and shop at my house if you would like to choose some yarn.

JoAnn Fabric stores have agreed with PL Headquarters to place a drop box for our donations near their front door.  This will be very convenient for people dropping off finished blankets and for us to pick them up. Remember we only drop to JoAnns on 33^rd South and the one on Redwood Road.

Recently one of our regular blanketeers, Karen Langley, has been doing extra duty and assisting Patsy and me with the labeling process.  Thank you so much Karen.

Every blanket submitted to our chapter is inspected for quality, condition, and appropriateness for children.  Then it receives our label and is packaged with a card to identify the creator of it.  Granted, it’s a lot of work.  But….then the rewarding thing about this is that we get to see – up close and personal – all of your amazing and creative blankets.  

Why we do what we do:

When Liam broke his arm, the only thing he wanted with him at the hospital (where he had to stay all night) was his Bronco’s blanket!

Thanks to all blanketeers, whether you label, sew, package, deliver, shop, fringe, crochet, quilt, donate, or just smile at us as we work. 

Millie and Patsy

January 2020 – Project Linus Newsletter   

New year wishes for all you wonderful Blanketeers

       BLANKET MAKING DAYS

We will start our new year with blanket making days at OSLC on Monday January 6^th and will work from 10:00 to 2:00.

Riverton group will make blankets on Friday, January 24th from 9:30 to noon at Riverton Senior Center.

Join us for either, both, for whatever amount of time you can spend with us.  It’s happy work and rewarding to see the lovely blankets produced.   

        SALT LAKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL

This year we will be picking up a new NICU to include in our deliveries.  Salt Lake Regional Hospital, downtown Salt Lake, will be needing about 30 baby blankets (either fleece or receiving blankets) each month.  We are so pleased to present their moms with a gift of a Linus blanket as they take their new babies home. 

      PAY IT FORWARD – SLC UNIFIED POLICE 

We participated in the Christmas Pay It Forward event sponsored by the Unified Police Department.  Officer Dustin Parks picked up 75 blankets to give to children at their event on December 7^th.  

The event is planned each year for children who have experienced law enforcement crises in their lives.  Officers befriend them one-to-one, drive them in police cars (complete with sirens and flashing lights) and take them shopping for Christmas gifts at Walmart.  In addition to picking out gifts they choose, each child may pick a Linus security blanket as well as a new back- pack. 

A THANK YOU RECEIVED
Children’s thank you notes are received often.
Thought I would try to put one here for you all to see one:

     MAKING QUALITY BLANKETS

We always encourage local groups to participate by hosting their own blanket making day.  However, making fringe fleece blankets seems to have “gone viral.”  It’s great that people want to make them, but we need to explain that they cannot be made properly in an hour by a group of untrained participants who have not the proper equipment and directions. 

 Sadly, we have been overwhelmed recently with poorly made fleece, fleece tied in knots, etc. and have had to recut them and start over to make a proper blanket.  

This problem can be solved by checking with our chapter to determine the needs, the patterns, the quality of work, and the numbers of fleece blankets that we can accept. 

            What’s Next?

 I am happily looking forward to another year as coordinator of the SLC chapter of Project Linus.  This will be my 5^th.  Patsy has been assisting officially for 2 years.  We are also happy to announce that we have finished our year end reports and realized that your combined efforts added to an amazing total of 2744! delivered security blankets. 

     Happy Linus New Year,  Millie and Patsy