The Birth Of Project Linus 

On Christmas Eve, 1995, an article titled “Joy to the World” appeared in Parade Magazine. It was written by Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist, Eddie Adams.

Part of the article featured a petite, downy haired child. She had been going through intensive chemotherapy and stated that her security blanket helped her get through the treatments.

After reading the article, Karen Loucks decided to provide homemade security blankets to Denver’s Rocky Mountain Children’s Cancer Center, and Project Linus was born.

The Central Virginia Story...

Hearing about the devastation following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, a group of volunteers came together to make quilts and blankets for the children displaced by the storm.  Being our first effort, it took us a few weeks to get organized and produce some blankets.  By the time, our blankets were completed, the wonderful, generous Project Linus coordinators from across the country had come together to meet the need of the children impacted by both Katrina and Rita. 

With a pile of completed blankets and quilts that needed a home, we began to look for organizations right here at home to accept our teasures.  It was then that the Charlottesville/Central Virginia Chapter was born! 

The first blankets were donated with the help of the Culpepper Virginia Chapter.  The Central Virginia Chapter became official March, 2006.  

Donations

We are a non-profit, all volunteer organization, so donations are critical to our survival.  It takes about $6.00 to buy enough fleece to make one blanket and $12.00 in supplies for every quilt! 

100% of our chapter funds benefit children here in Central Virginia.

Gift in Kind Donation

We also gladly accept blanket making supplies.  Please Contact Us if you would like to explore that type of donation.

Win a Quilt! Drawing Held

On December 1, 2009, we conducted the drawing for the Win a Quilt! contest.  A long time supporter of Project Linus, Langden Mason held the winning ticket!   The following is a picture of Langden with his prize:

TAPS Blankets Needed

Each year, many Project Linus chapters enjoy taking part in a special project, called TAPS. TAPS is the acronym for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Our efforts to help TAPS are led by our Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington chapter coordinator, Barb McLean. Here is an excerpt of Barb's message about TAPS:

"The survivors in this program are the children who have lost a parent or sibling in the armed forces. This program was started by Bonnie Carroll whose husband was the flight commander when the AWAC plane went down in Anchorage, 11 years ago. Bonnie saw and lived first hand how difficult it was for those youngsters to face that their lives had been changed forever by the death of their loved ones, serving there at Elmendorg AFBase.

Every Memorial Day weekend, there is a Good Grief Camp in Washington DC that invites these youngsters to attend. There are workshops on grief and trauma; information on benefits and resources, peer support groups, a TAPS Grand Banquet, reception of the Faces of the Fallen, concert by the Marine Corps, Evening parade, and Memorial Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.

Project Linus supports these youngster and wraps them in patriotic blankets as they go through the grief and trauma workshops.