Just before Christmas, Joe Handle was making a delivery to a Head Start program in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Two teachers were settling a group of children down for a nap, but Handle caught the attention of a small, curly-haired boy near the door. As Handle made each trip into the building with a large, soft bag slung over his shoulder, the boy watched him from his vantage point on the floor—:head down, one eye open, one eye closed.

After the sixth trip the youngster finally asked, "Are you Santa Claus?"

Though he describes himself as "kind of paunchy, with a big gut and gray hair," Handle has no beard to speak of. But that doesn't stop him from delivering kindness—:in the form of blankets.

The Blanket Network
Handle is a volunteer for Project Linus NJ Inc., a nonprofit company that donates blankets to children suffering serious illness or trauma. The blankets come from "blanketeers," volunteers who machine-sew, quilt, knit or crochet these handmade contributions. Sometimes blankets arrive at the project's headquarters in large parcels from quilting clubs or senior citizens' groups. Sometimes a lone blanket will come in the mail or show up on the doorstep.

"It happens every which way," says Hillary Roberts, the company's founder and president. "Sometimes people will come to me and say, 'I make blankets and my family is sick of my afghans and I'd like to give a few to you.'"

Audio Excerpt

Hillary Roberts describes ways Project Linus receives blankets.. (:22) Need Real Player?

Based in Keyport, New Jersey, a town of about 7,500 people, the company has been operating since 1999. It was originally a chapter of the national Project Linus nonprofit with the same mission. When the founder of the national group stepped down three years ago, uncertainty about the future led Roberts to establish the New Jersey chapter as a freestanding entity. It now boasts 3,400 volunteers and 10 blanket drop-off bins in various locations across the state, including Roberts' front porch.

On the Receiving End
Project Linus NJ regularly gives blankets to hospitals, charities and shelters, as well as other children's organizations. The fire and police departments receive blankets to warm those who've been rousted from their homes by fire and calamity, and terminally ill children receive "Birthday Blankies" while they're undergoing treatment. Some blankets wind up in nearby schools and daycare centers. Others are sent as far as Nepal.

"We've given out quite a few blankets," says Pam Martin, volunteer coordinator for the Monmouth County Division of Social Services in New Jersey. Her office acts as a registration point for services such as food stamps and Medicaid, and often people bring their children with them while they wait. To date, the division has given out more than 1,800 blankets, baby sets, stuffed animals and Christmas stockings. "The kids sit in reception, and sometimes it can be hours," she says. "We started to think that perhaps having blankets to give to kids who were there, who were stuck and maybe in need of a little TLC, would make them feel better."

Project Paul, a nonprofit that provides a food pantry and other emergency services to the needy in Keansburg, New Jersey, also distributes the blankets. People sometimes walk a long way to reach the agency, usually without a car and often battling the waterfront wind. Mothers are especially happy to be able to cover their infants in the blankets to protect them from the chill.

On the Giving End
Volunteers find Project Linus NJ in a variety of ways. Cathy Zanetich, a Keyport resident, first read about the company in a church bulletin. Though she's not a quilter, ("I wish I was, really, it seems very relaxing"), Zanetich helps out by delivering blankets to their appointed destinations. She's also been able to link up with two senior citizens—:she buys the wool, and they knit.

Rosemary Connell, who crochets baby blankets, read about Project Linus in the local newspaper. She gathered a crew of 10 coworkers to make blankets—:they meet once a month and have a luncheon. Sometimes they work on a quilt together, and sometimes they swap projects around if someone doesn't have time to finish it. "It's nice knowing that what you're doing is going back into the community locally," Connell says. "I like knowing some child is going to be warm with this blanket."

Since the company's start, some 15,000 blankets have found their way to children who need them. "What I can't get over is that it keeps on," Roberts says in amazement. "I can understand donating one blanket once, but the same people have been making hundreds of blankets, and I think that's what so significant. To make repeated donations is a real dedication to what we're trying to do."

Audio Excerpt

Hillary Roberts: Project Linus is fullfilling greater needs. (:43) Need Real Player?

Growing Pains
Roberts can't say enough about the people who volunteer for her organization: "I have met the most generous, giving, do-gooder, good-mood people, and I just want to be around them as much as possible now. It's completely addictive. Volunteers are good news folk, and we need a little good news."

As the ranks of volunteers swell, though, Project Linus NJ faces new challenges. The company is 100 percent volunteer, so when it comes to fundraising for their $15,000 annual budget, members have to get creative. Efforts include a letter-writing campaign to encourage companies to donate fabric, yarn, sewing machines and office supplies, and silent auctions to raffle off prizes for dollars. The group also relies on contributions of expertise. For instance, the Webmaster joined the project about a year ago and has done all the Web work for free.

"When we were twelve gals getting together to blanket-make, our expenses were very small," Roberts says. "But now with thirty-four hundred people and a real office to maintain, it's become a lot more detail-oriented and a lot more expensive."

Audio Excerpt

Hillary Roberts describes a corporate partnership. (:44) Need Real Player?

Project Linus NJ also looks to partnerships with local companies to meet its goals. New Jersey Natural Gas Company hosts two blanket drop-off sites in its Wall and Lakewood offices, where they've collected more than 40 blankets this year. Retail stores like Joanne's Fabrics also host delivery points and spread the word about the project.

As the group's reach spreads across the state, Project Linus NJ receives increasingly more press and Roberts gets more calls from volunteers. But while she's happy that the company has grown and accomplished all that it has, she's not looking for praise. "We don't really want a pat on the back by the child," she says. "We just want the child to feel comfort from the blanket."

Roberts prefers the blanket deliveries themselves to be as low-profile as possible. If a child can connect a face with a handmade afghan, she says, there might be a sense of indebtedness. So the donations are made through nurses, doctors, and volunteer coordinators at facilities such as houses and shelters.

"It's a gift," Roberts explains. "It's a gesture of love, comfort, hope—:so we stay out of it. We kind of like being those angels in the background."

Resources:

• Visit the Project Linus NJ Web site.
• The national Project Linus also has a Web site.
• To learn about volunteer opportunities, visit the Connect for Kids Volunteering and Mentoring topic pages.
  

Talk Back

If you've got comments or questions about this story, we'd like to hear them. Send your response to Susan Phillips.

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Kate Ashford is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Va.