Dayton Project Linus

💙📰 What's the Scoop Saturday? 💙📰

What could make the most wonderful time of the year even more wonderful? Our upcoming monthly meeting/work day, of course! Please join us NEXT Saturday, December 9th, at 9 AM in the Beavercreek Community Room (same building as the Beavercreek Senior Center) at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Rd, Beavercreek, OH 45432. We will share updates from 2023 and look ahead to some exciting plans for 2024! We will also be demonstrating how to make a fleece blanket with a sewn hem. Feel free to bring a current blanket project to work on (fleece, crochet or knit, or quilt) and your favorite beverage in a container with a lid. Looking forward to seeing you there!

A Season of Giving for Project Linus officially starts today! It is available now on the national website, www.projectlinus.org/donate.php

This special opportunity will extend through December. On Dec 24, 2023, Project Linus will celebrate 28 years of providing comfort and security to over 9 million children nationwide. Please help us to continue our mission for 28 more years!

We invite you to go to the national website and make a “Season of Giving” donation! We encourage you to designate our local chapter, Dayton OH Project Linus, in your gift.

A donation of $20 will make a single layer fleece blanket. A donation of $40 will purchase yarn for an Afghan. A donation of $50 will purchase fabric for a quilt top. A donation of $100 provides up to 5 children with a blanket.

Thank-you for your donation, and thank-you to all of our volunteers who work so hard to make blankets all year long!

💙📰What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

It's Saturday, but let's talk about Tuesday. Giving Tuesday, that is! This Giving Tuesday, we have a simple request that will give you the opportunity to support our mission WITHOUT seeing 💲money💲 leave your pocket or bank account! We recently announced that Dayton Project Linus is enrolled in the Kroger Community Rewards Program, but at the end of the last quarter, we only had 5 households linked to our account😳! We have 356 followers on this page, let's change this! Don't wait for Tuesday. Please enroll ⭐today⭐ to help us continue our mission. All funds raised by our chapter are used to create, process, and distribute blankets to children in our community who are ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.

Enroll in 3 easy steps:
1. Visit the Kroger Community Rewards website https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards
2. Log into your Kroger account. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information.
3. Search for Dayton Project Linus either by name or UN646. Click Enroll!

*Please note that the address associated with our chapter is listed as Belton, MO. This is the correct address . It is the address for Project Linus National Headquarters. All funds are sent directly to our chapter's account at national headquarters.

💙📰What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

This week we would like to feature one of our distributions partners, CARE House. CARE House is the children's advocacy center for children and families affected by abuse in Montgomery County. Each month, we deliver 30 handmade blankets to CARE House. The Director of CARE House recently shared with us that every child that comes through CARE House for services for their initial appointment is given the opportunity to select a blanket. She added that the gift of a handmade blanket lets a child know that there is a community of people who care for them and are concerned about them. We are honored to support the work of this important organization.

💙📰Special Edition💙📰

We are so thankful to partner with Camp Mariposa! Each camper got to choose their very own "blanket hug" at this event. Scroll through the photos to see our table of blankets.

💙📰What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

Our chapter held another outstanding meeting/work day today! First, we were honored to have Wendy, Director of Camp Mariposa, share about the comfort that our "blanket hugs" bring to their campers. Camp Mariposa is an addiction prevention program for youth affected by the substance use disorder of a family member. Next, we sorted and labeled some fabulous blankets that had been turned in at our drop-off sites or brought to the meeting. We finished with our OSU Quilt Raffle drawing (see previous post)! Thank-you to everyone who joined us today to keep our mission moving forward!

💙📰What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

This week's post serves as a friendly reminder that we will hold our November meeting/work day next ⏰Saturday, November 11th from 9 AM- 12 PM⏰ at the Beavercreek Community Room (same building as the Beavercreek Senior Center) at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Rd, Beavercreek, OH 45432. You won't want to miss this meeting! We will begin with a special speaker...and we will end with the🏈OSU Quilt Raffle🏈 drawing at 11:30 AM! There is still time to purchase a chance to win. Message or email us!

💙📰What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

As we approach Veterans Day, we are honored to share that our chapter has a new partnership that will benefit children of military or veteran families. We recently made our first deliveries to the Fisher Houses at both Wright-Patterson AFB and the Dayton VA. Fisher Houses provide home like accommodations to family members (including children) while active duty, retirees, and veterans are undergoing care at a military medical treatment facility or local community hospital. Pictured here is Phil (left), blanketeer who assists with our deliveries, Diyor (center), Manager of the two Fisher Houses located at the AFB, and a Fisher House staff member.

💙📰 What's the Scoop Saturday? 💙📰

If I don't make blankets, how can I help?

We're glad you asked! There are many other ways you can support our chapter! We will highlight a few ways today.

First, we accept good quality fabric and other blanket making materials, such as yarn or batting. We recently received the beautiful child-friendly cotton fabrics pictured here as a donation. Thank-you to those of you who think of us when you need to de-stash!

Material donations must be new, unused, washable, and free of contaminants such as mold, mildew and smoke. We accept cotton, cotton flannel, or fleece fabrics (minimum 1 1/2 yards for fleece) in child/teen friendly colors and prints. Soft, acrylic yarn is acceptable. Please make sure materials are not more than 5 years old.

We also gladly accept monetary donations. Your financial support helps us continue to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are ill or traumatized through the gift of new, handmade blankets. We were able to recently purchase bolts of teen-friendly fleece due to the generous support of friends like you!

You can make a monetary donation to our chapter online by visiting https://www.projectlinus.org/donate.php
❗️Important: When donating through the national website, please make sure to designate our Dayton, OH chapter as the recipient of your gift.

Finally, we welcome gift cards to craft and fabric stores like Joann Fabric and Crafts or Walmart so that we can purchase blanket making supplies. Electronic gift cards can be sent to [email protected]

Please message or email us for more information! Thank-you for your support!

💙📰 What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

Are you interested in learning more about the Project Linus story? Hear it straight from Project Linus National Headquarters!

Our Project Linus story How it all began and what we do.

We are so thankful for these dedicated deputies who will share our blanket “hugs” with the children they serve and protect in our local communities!

What a special surprise! Dayton Project Linus delivered TEN bags of blankets (handmade!) for deputies to provide to children who may be in a distressing situations.These 'blanket hugs' are a unique way to provide comfort to those who need it most. THANK YOU, Dayton Project Linus!

💙📰 What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

Editorial: Fleece and Eggs!

Did you know that the humble fleece blanket can be compared to the humble egg? No, it can't be fried, scrambled, or poached, but it can be tied, crocheted, or hemmed! The comparisons don't stop there, so please keep reading!

Single fleece layer blankets are one of our most popular blankets, but we have some tips to help you get the most out of your fleece creation! Over the next couple of months, we will see our favorite craft stores (like JOANN Fabric & Crafts) offer some great deals on fleece, so we want you to be ready to stock up!

Back to the comparisons. Like eggs, you will want to consider the quality. No, you don't need to look for organic, free-range fleece, but we would like you to consider blizzard or anti-pill fleece. These types hold up well to repeated use and washing. Also, just like large eggs are best for baking, it is best to purchase 1 ½ yards of fleece for a child and 2 yards for a teen.

Next, just like eggs, fleece should be handled with care. Although you don't need to be too concerned about broken yolks, you do want to pay close attention to selvage! What is selvage? Selvage is the rolled edge with pin holes and/or the manufacturer name that is found on the edges of the fleece (see photo). Before you start your favorite method of finishing a fleece blanket, please use a pair of sharp scissors to remove the selvage and trim up your fleece so it is even on all sides.

Now you can start cooking! If you are looking for a no-sew option, consider fringing and tying or even braiding! Full instructions for making a variety of fleece blankets can be found here: https://www.projectlinus.org/patterns/

When you go to this webpage, we recommend looking at the pattern for the No Sew Fleece Blanket #1 that is on the right side of the page. The instructions show you how to make a high-quality fringed, tied blanket. There are also instructions here for using a Skip Stitch blade for adding a crochet border! If you would like to learn more about how to make a variety of fleece blankets, please join us at our next monthly meeting/work day on November 11th! Full details in the event listing on this page.

💙Meeting cancellation reminder💙 We will NOT be holding our regularly scheduled Meeting/Work Day in October.

We typically meet the second Saturday of each month, so we will meet again on Saturday, November 11th. You won't want to miss our November 11th meeting! We will have a special speaker AND we will hold the drawing for our 🏈 OSU Quilt Raffle 🏈! There is still time to purchase chances for the raffle. Please see event listing on this page or direct message us for more information.

💙📰 What's the Scoop Saturday? 💙📰

This week, we'd like to highlight two of our partners that received blankets as part of our September deliveries. On a quarterly basis, we deliver "blanket hugs" to both Agape for Youth, Inc. and the Catholic Social Services Refugee Resettlement Program. By distributing our handmade blankets to the children they serve, these two agencies help us accomplish our mission of providing love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are experiencing a time of stress and crisis.

At Agape for Youth, Inc., our blankets are added to Comfort Bags - duffle bags packed with personal care items that are provided to youth who have just been placed in foster care. Thank-you to everyone who supports our work so that we can continue these valuable partnerships!

💙📰What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

Today we place a Classified Ad to provide a shameless plug for our upcoming event: Super Sewing Saturday! Scheduled for next Saturday, September 30th, 1 pm - 4 pm at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 1501 N Broad St, Fairborn, OH 45324.

Here are the top 3 reasons why YOU should be there:
1. It's all about the blankets...and relaxing! This is an informal time to use your creativity while you sew, knit, crochet, or make fleece blankets for our local chapter!
2. Learn new skills! We will provide cotton fabric strips and the instruction to create simple quilt blocks. Please bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies. Or, bring a current crochet, knit, or fleece project to work on. There is room for all!
3. Be inspired by hearing how others became involved with our chapter and the difference it makes in their lives!

See you next Saturday!

💙📰 What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰
This week, we would like to provide a resource for a frequently asked question (FAQ): What type of blankets does Dayton Project Linus accept? These guidelines are based on the needs of our current partners. Thank-you!

💙📰 What's the Scoop - Special Edition 💙📰

Breaking news! Dayton Project Linus is now enrolled in the Kroger Community Rewards Program! We are asking you, our friends and supporters, to enroll ⭐today⭐ to help us continue our mission. All funds raised by our chapter are used to create, process, and distribute blankets to children in our community who are ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.

Enroll in 3 easy steps:
1. Visit the Kroger Community Rewards website https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards
2. Log into your Kroger account. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information.
3. Search for Dayton Project Linus either by name or UN646. Click Enroll!

💙📰 What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

Hot off the press! Highlights from our monthly meeting/work day held this morning! We shared updates, had a show and tell of blankets turned in at the meeting and picked up from our drop-off sites, labeled and sorted blankets, and enjoyed each other's company! We had 14 blanketeers total, including two new faces! Thank-you to everyone who joined us.

💙⏰It's almost time for our September meeting/work day! We hope to see you this Saturday, September 9th, 9 AM - 12 PM in the Beavercreek Community Room (same building as the Beavercreek Senior Center) at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Rd, Beavercreek, OH 45432. More details in the Event listing on this page. Come join us as we sort, label, and prepare blankets for distribution. You can make a difference in our community and meet like-minded blanketeers!

💙📰What's the Scoop Saturday?💙📰

This week's top story is community Make a Blanket events!

On Sunday, August 27th, Wright State University hosted a special event for new students. It was an opportunity for meaningful service while meeting new friends!

Then, on Thursday, August 31st, Winters-Bellbrook Community Library kicked off the first of a series of Make a Blanket events hosted by the Greene County Public Library system. Please visit the Greene County Public Library website for more information.

We appreciate our community partners who contribute to our mission by hosting blanket making events! These fleece 'blanket hugs' will soon bring comfort to children in our local area. And a special thank-you to our Dayton Project Linus blanketeers who are assisting at these events.