THUNDER BAY -- Some local children will have an extra blanket to keep them warm thanks to the efforts of a city high school class.
The Grade 11 fashion and creative expression class from Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute presented a representative from Project Linus with 10 blankets the students made.
Project Linus is a not-for-profit organization that gives handmade security blankets to children suffering distress in their everyday lives.
Jennifer Elvish is the coordinator of the local chapter, formed in 2009, by her and her two daughters who are love to sew and quilt. They’ve delivered about 450 blankets to children in Thunder Bay through CAS Thunder Bay, Dilico and Faye Peterson Transition House.
Elvish said the organizations are always overwhelmed by the blankets, especially because they’re handmade.
“That personal touch sets it apart,” she said. “We get beautiful, beautiful blankets made. They are overwhelmed people put that much effort into a blanket and then just give it away to a child.”
Introducing high school students to Project Linus is also a way to show youth there are different ways of giving to charity aside from traditional methods, Elvish added.
Grade 11 student Melissa Vondrasek said they worked on the quilts for about two months.
“We tried to pick colours and patterns that would fit children, especially under the age of eight,” she said. “We picked things we would like, especially for boys and girls.”
Vondrasek was surprised by the final results and enjoyed working on the quilts. She was also pleased to know the blankets will go to children in the community.
Project Linus started in 1995 in the U.S. and chapters have delivered more than 500,000 blankets throughout the U.S. and Canada.
It originally focused on giving security blankets to children with cancer, but expanded to include any kind of seriously ill or traumatized child.
For more information visit www.projectlinus.org.
