JWUMC.net

@John Wesley United Methodist Church

Thank you to everyone who has contributed a blanket to our Project Linus program! As of October 1, 2009 we have donated 339 blankets to the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Chapter of Project Linus. Our blankets have been distributed to children throughout the greater Cincinnati area and have provided comfort to children in hospitals and other situations where they experience traumatic events. We will continue the program this year and encourage everyone to get involved.

Project Linus is a 100% volunteer non-profit national organization with a two-fold mission:

• 3,005,973 blankets have been donated nationally
• 405 chapters participate in the Project Linus

We encourage you to get involved by donating a new, handmade, washable blanket or by providing a monetary or material donation. 

Following is information about requirements for blankets. These are guidelines but you are free to use your creativity in creating a new, handmade, washable quilt, afghan, or blanket for a child. You are encouraged to use children friendly prints when creating blankets because doctors and nurses many times use the blankets as a tool to promote conversations with children.

We are also providing a packet of patterns that may be used when making a blanket for Project Linus. Click here to download the packet of patterns.

As you begin work on blankets for this year we want to share the guidelines specified by the Cincinnati Chapter of Project Linus.

• Project Linus does not need baby blankets that are smaller than 36” x 36”. At this point they have a large number of blankets smaller than 36” x 36” and do not have storage area to keep additional blankets this size. They also do not have a large need for blankets below the 36” size. There is a greater need to provide children with blankets at least 36” x 36” so children will have a blanket that serves their needs even as they grow
• Project Linus will no longer accept quilts that have serged edges. They have found that serged edges do not hold up well when washed so they are requesting that quilts have an edge with a binding.

If you would like to be involved in the Project Linus project this year please follow these guidelines:

1. Blankets must be new, handmade, and washable.
2. Blanket sizes:
   • Quilts and afghans-
     • Baby 36” x 36”
     • Toddler 36” x 48”
     • Child 45” x 54”
     • Teen 60” x 70”
   • Fleece blankets-
     • Baby 1 yd. cut into two panels (30” x 36” each). Do not fringe the edges of baby blankets.
     • Toddler 1 ¼ yd.
     • Child 1 ½ yd.
     • Teen 2 yds.
3. Protect your blankets and supplies from exposure to smoke! The residue from cigarette smoke can trigger severe asthma attacks in children and cannot be removed by washing.
4. Do not rinse blankets with liquid fabric softener. Use only dryer sheets if you use softener.
5. Use all new materials. Do not use fabrics, such as old sheets, in your blankets.

We will also be collecting blankets for adults in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital. These are young adults who received treatment as children for serious heart problems and continue to receive treatment there as adults. If you want your blanket donated to the adult CICU at Children’s Hospital please specify that when you donate the blanket.

You can donate your blanket by placing it in a bag and writing “Project Linus” on the outside of the bag(s) to ensure we receive your donation and drop it off in the John Wesley UMC office. You may also contact Debbie Canter at 894-5657 or at debbiecanter@roadrunner.com to arrange for someone to pick up your donation if you are unable to drop it off at church.

We will be donating blankets to the Greater Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky Project Linus Chapter throughout the year. Please turn in blankets by the following dates and we will forward them to the Project Linus Coordinator: November 15, February 15, and May 15. If you need more information on Project Linus please contact Debbie Canter at 894-5657 or debbiecanter@roadrunner.com.