Feel Good Friday - Project Linus

As Feel Good Friday heads into December, it’s time to switch into winter holiday mode! Let’s start with Project Linus.

If reading the name Linus calls to mind the Peanuts character who loved his blanket, you’re on the right track. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Belton, Missouri, 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.” They do this with blankets.

There are Project Linus chapters in all 50 states. Volunteer chapter coordinators actively work within their communities to gather homemade blankets and then distribute them to children in need. The volunteers who make the blankets are called “blanketeers” and there are many ways they can stay engaged with Project Linus throughout the year.

A great time to get involved is on National Make a Blanket Day! Coming up on February 18, 2023, this is a day set aside by Project Linus and their chapters to bring awareness to the mission. If you need inspiration, or a pattern, for your blanket creation you can find some on the website. There are even options for no-sew fleece blankets, perfect for people like me.

In addition to National Make a Blanket Day, there is an annual Knit & Crochet Along that runs from March to August. On the first Saturday in March a knit and a crochet pattern segment is released. New pattern segments are released succeeding Saturdays through the end of April. You can download the segments from the website at any time during the entire event period so that you can knit at your own pace.

Finally, there is a Mystery Quilt Challenge and Contest. The Challenge portion consists of weekly “clues” revealed over several weeks to challenge registrants. Each clue is a PDF document that contains very detailed instructions, diagrams, and even templates to make a segment of the mystery quilt. Clues are accompanied by online videos demonstrating step-by-step how to make them. At the end of the challenge, all weekly clue segments are assembled into a beautiful quilt. The Contest portion consists of entrants rallying everyone they know to make donations in the form of votes for their entered quilt. Vote-buying for good!

Across all chapters, Project Linus donates an average of 350 blankets each month. Since they began in 1995 they have delivered over 9,058,293 blankets to children in need!

If you want to support the work of Project Linus, you can find a local chapter where you can volunteer, donate a handmade blanket or donate materials. You can also make a monetary donation, shop for merch, and amplify their message on social media. Follow them on Facebook, on Twitter @ProjectLinus and on Instagram @project.linus.official.