Project Linus Day will be April 26

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The annual Community Project Linus Blanket Day will be held on April 26, at the Penquis Higher Education Center on Mayo Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church Women’s Fellowship group will be serving coffee, snacks and lunch by donation.  Please bring your sewing machine if you are planning to sew. We have plenty to do for those that do not sew with a sewing machine.

    For more information please contact Piscataquis Coordinator Judy at 564-2246 or projectlinusforme@yahoo.com or Penobscot Coordinator Merlene at 561-9225 or mainelinus@yahoo.com.
    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, washable blankets and afghans, lovingly crafted by volunteer blanketeers.
    Anyone who can learn to tie a square knot is invited to join in the fun anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Community involvement is vital to the success of this event, and it is hoped that as many people as possible will come and help make these blankets. Our goal is to make 100 quilts to distribute in Piscataquis and Penobscot counties. We have lots of fabric, orphan quilt blocks, quilt tops that need to be put together, so bring your sewing machine, scissors or just your energy and help us put some quilts together.
    Since Project Linus began, blanketeers have created and donated nearly five million blankets. About 40,000 of the blankets were made and donated in Maine. Each chapter donates most of its blankets locally to hospitals, shelters, social services, law enforcement or relief agencies, anywhere they’re needed in the community. If there is a surplus, blankets are sometimes sent to other states scarred by natural disaster or tragedy.
    Many Project Linus volunteers are practically addicted to making blankets. Piscataquis County has some very dedicated blanketeers who sew or crochet all winter and on or near Project Linus Blanket Day they appear with many new handmade blankets they made during the cold snowy weather to donate.
    Blanketeers rarely learn the identity of the children who receive their gifts — the blankets are given to an agency or organization that delivers them to where they are most needed. Individuals or groups can put their name on blankets if they wish, but many blankets bear only a Project Linus tag with a link to the national website. Parents often send thank you notes via the national organization, which shares them with coordinators
    If anyone is interested in learning about Project Linus and would like to get involved in some way, Project Linus can be a fun, rewarding service opportunity. Blanketeers work solo or in groups such as clubs, schools or places of worship. Coordinators suggest that potential blanketeers check with them to see if they are low on blankets of particular sizes or types. Project Linus also accepts donations of money or supplies such as fabric, yarn, thread or other craft materials, even sewing machines. They also need volunteers for tasks such as sewing labels on and inspecting finished blankets for quality and hazardous items such as pins.
    Anyone can contribute to Project Linus, including those without needle skills. Though crocheted afghans, quilts and knitted blankets are among some of the one-of-a-kind creations, beginners may try their hand at no-sew blankets made of polar fleece, with the edges fringed using scissors. Blankets made for Project Linus must be new, homemade and washable (no animal fiber). They must be free of smoke and pet dander. And they should not have buttons or other embellishments that might be harmful if detached. Coordinators recommend that volunteers use fabrics that are colorful, whimsical or otherwise child friendly in design. Because Project Linus serves children from infants to 18-year-olds, volunteers make blankets in a range of sizes, as small as 36-by-36 inches for infants to twin sizes for teens. Some people make tiny blankets for preemies.
    The Project Linus national website has links to patterns of all kinds, for all skill levels, including a no-sew fleece pattern. To donate a blanket, contact the coordinator in your area to find the nearest drop-off point (stores and other participating sites). For more information, contact www.projectlinus.org or your nearest chapter.