Wednesday, December 4, 2002

Project Linus blankets area with kindness

When Judy Simpson moved to Fayette County from California, she brought more than her furniture and clothes. She brought a giving heart.

Simpson, along with many others in Fayette County and the United States, "provides security through blankets."

Project Linus was begun by Karen Louks in Denver, Colorado in 1995. Louks read an article regarding a child going through intensive chemotherapy who stated that her security blanket helped get her through the tough ordeal. Louks was led to provide homemade security blankets to other children in similar situations. From her efforts Project Linus was formed.

Today there are over 300 local chapters of Project Linus and as of January 2002 over 400,000 blankets had been donated to seriously ill or traumatized children across the world. In the aftermath of Sept 11. over 10,000 blankets were given to children affected by the tragedy in some manner.

While in California Simpson happened upon an article regarding Project Linus and, as a long-time crocheter, became interested. She soon joined the ranks of "blanketeers." When she moved to Fayette County she found there were no representatives in the area, and became, in her words, "the coordinator by default" of a new chapter. The Fayette chapter was the first in Atlanta.

"I started my chapter of Project Linus in January 1997, which was not easy, since I didn't know anyone," she said. "But eventually word got around through articles in publications such as Parade, Family Circle and Reader's Digest. I wrote personal letters and made phone calls to various craft, church, and service groups. I also have had a table at craft or community fairs or spoken at group meetings. Newspaper notices or articles in local papers have caught the eye of individuals, some of whom have made over 100 blankets since then."

Business is picking up, with an average of just over 100 blankets per quarter, or about 30-35 a month. "The number is slowly climbing, which is a good thing, because I never have enough to deliver to all the places that need them," she said.

Since taking on the challenge she has been joined by numerous volunteers who knit, crochet, quilt or sew handmade blankets. Blankets of all sizes have been donated to children in the Atlanta area ranging from newborn to age 18.

Local blanketeers are always open to donations of yarn and other blanket making materials. Sadly, the number of children needing blankets continues to grow, thus new blanketeers are welcome. For more information regarding the local chapter of Project Linus contact Judy Simpson at 770-716-9968. For information regarding the nonprofit organization visit its Web site at http://www.projectlinus.org/.

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