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The Salvation Army partners with the Lions Club to host Project Linus in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
“There’s really no end to what this blanket can do,” said Linus, as he demonstrated the versatility of his security blanket in the 1968 comic strip, “Peanuts.” He trusted its super powers to support him in stressful situations.
Now, 57 years later, Project Linus—an independent nonprofit organization—ensures children who need such a blanket will receive one. The project brings together volunteer “blanketeers,” who meet for blanket-making events. The handmade blankets are then delivered to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need.
In Sierra Vista, Arizona, The Salvation Army partners with the local Lions Club for these events, which bring together not only Lions Club members but others from the community. Project Linus is one of the local Lions Club charitable endeavors, and The Salvation Army provides the space for people to gather to make the blankets.
For The Salvation Army, the partnership is a perfect way to both do good and expand its reach in the community.
“We’re a small community, and for us it’s all about community connections,” said Eva McElroy, a long-time volunteer at the Sierra Vista Corps. “When the Lions Club contacted the corps to see if it would host Project Linus, the answer was, ‘Yes, you can use our facility at no cost.’”
At a recent Make-A-Blanket Morning—the Sierra Vista Corps’ third this year—about 45 people participated, including a grandmother/granddaughter team, older adults, high school students and moms with young children. No matter someone’s skill level, all could participate.
“That’s what’s so lovely about it,” McElroy said. “It can really be a little family affair, and you’re going in and you’re making a difference…I can only imagine when a kiddo gets a blanket like that, and they know that someone has personally put their hands on this to make for someone they don’t even know—I just love that feeling.”
McElroy said whether it’s a young child coloring quilting squares with markers or an 80-year-old with advanced quilting skills, there’s a way for everyone to participate. And when the blankets are ready, professionals—including foster care representatives, firefighters and the county sheriff—pick them up for distribution.
One time, Project Linus provided blankets for every child in a small rural school. McElroy said 53 kids received blankets, and Project Linus received 53 thank-you notes.
Janet Morelock, Sierra Vista Lions Club President, said the club’s partnership with The Salvation Army is essential, allowing the club to engage with and better support the community.
Morelock said The Lions Club adopted Project Linus a couple of years ago, when it was looking for a new service project. They first met for a blanket-making event in a club member’s family room, but as enthusiasm for the project grew, they realized they needed a larger space.
“We very much wanted to get out in the community and launch Project Linus as a community program, going beyond it being only a member service project, but didn’t have a place,” Morelock said.
After connecting with The Salvation Army, they found that place. The Lions Club also holds its regular meetings at the corps building. McElroy said the Sierra Vista Corps made a conscious decision to serve the community by providing space to other nonprofits.
“We made this community obligation that one of us—whether employee, volunteer or one of the captains—we’d be here [for other nonprofits] because that’s what we signed up to do,” she said.
That willingness to serve has made a difference—hosting a space for blanket making has also created a place for people to share their personal experiences.
“At our March event, a family, including a young child who is a Project Linus recipient during frequent hospital stays, came to make blankets and give back,” she said. “The mom and older sibling shared the impact this little kindness has on his comfort and, they believe, recovery.”
Since its founding in 1995, Project Linus has delivered more than 10 million blankets to youth 18 and under.
“Knowing that the foster child, who may have left their home with only the clothes they were wearing, will get to choose a brand new, one-of-a-kind blanket just for them; that an ill child will have a bright and cuddly blanket while receiving treatment; that a law enforcement officer will be able to wrap a child in a colorful blanket when a child’s world is shattering makes Project Linus special and meaningful in a far-reaching way,” Morlock said. “Project Linus is special in that it impacts all who participate, whether receiving or giving a touch of faith, hope and joy.”
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