Project Provides Blankets for Kids

On February 7, volunteers from the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV)/Sylmar chapter of Project Linus participated in Make a Blanket Day at the Westfield Valencia Town Center. In

addition to students from local schools, people from different age groups donated fabrics, yarns, and other essentials for the day of blanket-making.

Project Linus, named in

reference to the "Peanuts" character Linus who always carries a security blanket, works with numerous chapters nationwide to provide blankets to those in need. Since the

start of the organization in 1998, an average of 350

handmade blankets have been collected and donated each month to hospitals, shelters, social service agencies, and other places. In the two years since it was established, the SCV/Sylmar branch alone has donated more than 2,300

blankets.

"For us, giving a blanket to a child whose life is crashing around them allows that child to feel a warm hug," said Sharon Garvar, the Project Linus chapter coordinator and a teacher at Academy of the Canyons (AOC), in an interview with JSR.

"We can't always solve the problem," she continued, "but there is a lot of love we can put out there... Sometimes a gift from a stranger is all it takes to help someone get up and keep trying to overcome those seemingly insurmountable obstacles."

Volunteers at the event

agreed that Project Linus is a worthwhile opportunity for those who wish to make a difference in the community.

"I was proud to hand in the blanket to the teacher knowing that I would be helping another child," Julia Lee, a junior at AOC, told JSR in an interview.

With a goal of encouraging more people to share kindness, AOC senior Heero Chung told JSR, "I am planning on starting [a branch of Project Linus] in college if possible."

SCV/ Sylmar Project Linus hosts Make a Blanket Day biannually in February and October. To learn more about these and other events, visit www.scvprojectlinus.org.

Ashley Ku

Grade 11, West Ranch High School