Blanket Drop off Day June 20th!
NRV Project Linus will be having a blanket drop off day on June 20th at the following locations:
10 AM – 12 PM -Grove United Methodist Church, 1020 Tyler Ave., Radford, Virginia
2 PM – 4 PM JoAnn Fabric, 145 Shoppers Wat, Christiansburg, VA
Our next Blanket Day will be in September 2020 (stay tuned for more details) at Grove United Methodist Church, 1020 Tyler Avenue, Radford, VA. It will be held from 9AM – 3PM. Materials will be provided. Please bring completed blankets to this event. Labeling your blankets with your name is appreciated.
Quick Links
Hello Blanketeers and Project Linus supporters,
Project Linus is here to help us all stay busy while we are perhaps at home a little more than usual these days! Remember the PL Mission: FIRST 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.” SECOND Provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.
1) We have the Knit and Crochet Along – the second clue came out yesterday! You can register here:https://www.projectlinus.org/knitcrochet/. If you do sign up, please list New River Valley-Radford Chapter and we will receive your $15 registration fee. Local shop Sew Biz is also offering a discount on the yarn you purchase for this project – check with them directly! (7327 Pepper’s Ferry Blvd., Fairlawn, Virginia 24141)
2) For the quilters, National Vice President Mary Balagna came up with the wonderful idea of a Virtual Quilt-A-Long for National Quilting Day on March 21! Here is her message and details for registering:
Welcome to the 2020 Project Linus Quilt-A-Long “Side By Side”! As we temporarily seclude ourselves in the safety and comfort of our sewing rooms, I would like to invite you to join together as Project Linus blanketeers and quilters around the world to SAFELY celebrate National Quilting Day (March 21st) with a FUN service opportunity! Here are the details:
For a $10 online donation to Project Linus, you will receive our downloadable (pdf) quilt pattern “Side by Side” designed specifically for this Quilt-A-Long, on or before March 21, 2020. It’s very “scrap friendly” and you will end up with a beautiful 40” x 58” (approx.) quilt when you are finished!
Go to https://www.projectlinus.org/donations/ and make a $10 online donation. Be sure to put “SIDE BY SIDE” in the comments section and the name your local Project Linus chapter if you would like to specify your local chapter to receive the $10 donation (New River Valley-Radford). PLEASE double check the accuracy of your email address. We will also have a few Facebook Live sessions on our Project Linus Mystery Quilt Challenge Group Page, where we will answer questions and work on a block or two.
3) Project Linus National President Patty Gregory’s Dad has been struggling with his health and is isolated at home. Plus, today is his birthday! If you would like to send a card to cheer him up, here is his name and address. Be sure to mention your Project Linus connection! Don Crabbs, 314 Crystal Drive, Belton MO 64012
4) Project Linus t-shirts are available for ordering from March 9th through March 22nd at midnight! Orders will ship out the week of April 13th. You are ordering these directly from Western Associates, not PL. Here is the link to order: www.projectlinusshop.org
My thoughts are with each of you and I hope we all stay safe and healthy! Check on your family, friends and neighbors – we are all in this together!
Fondly,
Penny Sweet
Chapter Coordinator
Facebook: NRV Project Linus
2/09/2020
Hello Friends,
We had a wonderful Blanket Day yesterday despite the cold weather. Thanks so much to everyone who attended and worked together to make blankets for local children! We took in over 500 new blankets and are so appreciative of all who donated their time, fabric, yarn, and completed blankets! We had 74 adults and 40 students who attended.
As always, thanks so much to those who contributed delicious food for our lunch and gave donations for lunch. Our two kitchen angels, Meg and Susan, deserve a huge pat on the back for working all day in the kitchen. I wouldn’t know what to do without them!
I haven’t yet been able to see all the beautiful blankets donated, but I am always amazed at everyone’s talent and the beautiful designs of the blankets that our quilters, knitters, and crocheters turn in. And we truly appreciate the fleece blankets that so many of our volunteers spend their time making. There are so many lovely patterns and designs and the children love receiving the soft fleece blankets!
There will not be a Blanket Day in June but we will announce the September date as soon as we have that scheduled. Completed blankets can always be left at Joann Fabrics in Christiansburg or at my house. Thanks so much to each one of you for making the NRV chapter of Project Linus so successful!
Fondly,
Penny Sweet
9/7/2019
Current Statistics for NRV PROJECT LINUS
Blankets received January – March 2020 – 970
Blankets distributed January – March – 538
Total Blankets Distributed since NRV Project Linus inception – 42,330
Would you like to learn a special skill??
NRV Project Linus provides weighted blankets to children with special needs. These blankets retail for between $100-$250 making it totally inaccessible for most children in need. We have an expert weighted blanket artisan who can’t wait to share her skills with someone who would like to learn to assist with this special project. Materials are provided but you would need to own a sewing machine and have basic sewing skills. Please contact Penny Sweet if you are interested.
PROJECT LINUS DID YOU KNOW?
- Karen Loucks started Project Linus on December 24,1995. The New River Valley-Radford Chapter begin in June, 2000.
- Project Linus nationally has been alive for 6.942 days as of January 1.2017
- Project Linus nationally has had non-profit status since May 12, 1997
- The New River Valley-Radford Chapter of Project Linus donated 2,441 blankets in 2016. Since we started, we have delivered 33,467 blankets!
- Project Linus nationally has officially collected over 6,063,751 blankets as of January 1, 2017. If 60% of them are fabric, that translated into over 10,914,751 yards of fabric. If 40% are afghans, that is over 19,404,003 skeins of yarn.
- If each blanket is an average of 60: long, and we laid them end to end, they would stretch 30,318,755 feet or 5,742 miles. That is as tall as 1,44 Mt. Everests, or 17,071 One World Trade Centers or 24,255 Empire State Buildings or as long as 101,062 football fields.
Project Linus was named after the adorable security blanket-toting character from the Peanuts© comic strip. Creator Charles Schulz was aware of our efforts and was delighted to have Linus inspire blanket makers to help comfort children in need.
Project Linus began in December 1995 after Karen Loucks was inspired to make blankets for her local children’s cancer center. Since then, Project Linus has expanded to include children who are seriously ill or traumatized in many ways.
MISSION STATEMENT
Project Linus is a volunteer non-profit organization with a two-fold mission:
FIRST, it is our mission 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.”
SECOND, it is our mission to provide rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.
Anyone, any age, can help these children. It is within your power to make a difference.
Nearly 400 chapters of Project Linus exist nationally, with more than 4,000,000 blankets donated to children.