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Hannah Coumes
Professor Fielding
WRTC 103
31 January 2016
How the Linus Project Affected My Life
Being part of a group has molded me into the person I am today and made me see
the world in a different light. I am a woman, a sister, a daughter, a baker, and a musician.
However, what has impacted me the most is being a member of a charity. Charity is
defined as love for fellow human beings, often expressed in a donation of goods and
services for those in need (Watts 143). The charity I have taken the most interest in is
The Linus Project because of the community it has formed. It is a charity that began in
1995 to make blankets for children with cancer. The Linus Project is a very well known
charity in the crafting community and has inspired me to help others in any way that I
can.
In 1995, a woman named Karen Loucks read an article in a magazine about a sick
child who depended on her blanket to get through chemotherapy. After reading the
article, she was inspired to start making blankets for a local Childrens Cancer Center that
eventually lead to the Linus Project being formed. (Babbitt) As of 2015, the charity has
gained wide recognition throughout the United States. The mission of this charity is to
give sick children comfort and warmth at a time when they need the most love and care
they can get. Another goal of The Linus Project is providing community service
opportunities within each community.

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There are not many requirements to be able to donate blankets. For one, the yarn
or fabric used to make these blankets has to be a specific type and of high quality. This is
to ensure the safety of the child who receives it. The blankets may be knitted, sewed,
crocheted, or tied but the requirement is that they are handmade. The Linus Project feels
so strongly about only making handmade blankets because they want the children to feel
the love that is put into each one.
Many stereotypes are formed based off of the idea that the individuals who take
the time to make these blankets are just elderly women with nothing else to do. However,
that could not be further from the truth. Many of the people who donate are young men
and women who want to make a difference in their lives. These stereotypes dont give the
people who donate enough credit and make what we do seem less important. What we do
is very important because we, not only, donate blankets; we also donate time and money.

I became a part of this charity because I felt like something was missing in my life
and I wanted to do something to fill that. Helping others has always been a passion of
mine and it makes me happy to see others happy. I knew that I had the skills and the
materials to knit blankets and not everyone had that.

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I have many different responsibilities as a member of The Linus Project such as
being expected to make a blanket that is comfortable and safe for the child. I also need to
stay motivated and focused enough to follow through with these projects so I am not
letting anyone down. My most important responsibility is spreading the word so others
will either feel motivated to give a helping hand by making blankets or donating money.
I have been working with the Linus Project for a few years now and I have had
many different experiences leading me up to where I am today. The first big moment for
me was when I met the group that would knit together in my town and donate those
blankets. A friends mom invited me to sit in a stuffy room with women four times my
age to knit for a few hours every week. At the time, my role was just to listen to the rules
and regulations we had to follow to donate to the charity and watch them knit so I could
learn how to as well. At first, it was a bit difficult because I did not have as much
experience compared to the other women and I did not think my skills would be good
enough to donate. Eventually, I completed my first blanket and I felt a huge relief and a
sense of accomplishment.
My second experience was not nearly as successful as the first. I wanted to start
my own knitting group so I could convince other people to donate as well. I brought
some friends from high school together and formed a knitting club. My job was to keep
them motivated and willing to finish a project and when they were done, I would collect
it. The problem in the group was that they were high school students with a lot of other
work on their plate. I realized they were not motivated enough to continue the projects
they started because it was so time consuming. Eventually, I had to put an end to the
group because there was no commitment and I went back to the group of women that

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taught me. The experience was helpful in teaching me a lesson of how I could get others
involved in charity but unfortunately, it was not successful that time.
My most recent experience through knitting for the Linus Project was my chance
to volunteer at the local chapter. I was interesting in volunteering for a while because I
wanted to see what it was like on the inside. I helped go through the donations to separate
the ones that did not make the cut from the rest. If the materials were not safe or the
blanket looked old or bought, they could not be given to children for their safety. I also
helped package the blankets for the trip to the hospitals. All in all, it was an amazing
experience and definitely my favorite experience working with the Linus Project because
I had the chance to see all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. It made me
feel very happy to be able to help the children in more than one way.
Being part of the Linus Project opens my eyes to how much I can make a
difference in the community. It makes me see the effect a charity can have on a whole
group of people. Being part of this group of giving men and women makes me feel like I
have a valuable purpose in my life and gives me something to be proud of. I realize now
more than ever how important a charity is for the people giving and receiving. The Linus
Project may not be for everyone but some charity is and being part of a charity has
strongly impacted my life.

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Works Cited
Babbitt, Carol. Project Linus National Headquarters. Project Linus. Web. 24 Jan. 2016
Watts, Thomas D. Charity. Encyclopedia of World Poverty. SAGE, 2006. 2560. Print.