Project Linus...Did You Know?

Here are some interesting facts and figures about Project Linus:

• Karen Loucks started Project Linus on December 24, 1995. The Raleigh/Wake County Chapter began in June 1996.
• Project Linus National has had nonprofit status since May 12, 1997.
• Project Linus nationally has officially collected 3,566,285 blankets as of September 30, 2010. If 60% of them are fabric, that translates into about 6,419,313 yards of fabric. If 40% are afghans, that is about 11,412,112 skeins of yarn.
• The Raleigh Chapter of Project Linus donated 2226 blankets in 2010. Since we started in 1996, we have delivered 19,579 blankets!
• If each blanket is an average of 60" long, and we laid them end to end, they would stretch 17,831,425 feet or 3,377 miles. That is as tall as 614 Mt. Everests, or 12,264 Willis Towers (formerly the Sears Tower) or 14,265 Empire State Buildings or as long as 59,438 football fields!
• Assuming each delivered blanket so far had a label, the cost for labels would be $106,988.55.
• As of January 1, 2011, Project Linus has 371 chapters in the United States. We have 371 wonderful, compassionate coordinators.
• If each of our 371 wonderful compassionate coordinators donates an average of 20 hours per week to their chapter, that would mean about 1,040 hours per year each. And that's just coordinators!
• Think you're not making a financial contribution to Project Linus? How much money is your time worth? Even at minimum wage, 20 hours per week is a salary of $8,320 in donated time per year, per coordinator. If you are talking about 371 wonderful, compassionate coordinators, it is a value of $3,086,720 per year.

And the winner is...Project Linus!

Thanks to all of you who submitted craft entries and voted in Joann's "Craft for a Cause" contest.  The votes have been tallied, and Project Linus is the $50,000 grand prize winner!  

Words fail to adequately express our thanks to the countless supporters and volunteers who voted for Project Linus at JoAnn's Craft for a Cause Contest. And to JoAnn's, for their generosity, I hardly know how to begin. This is the largest donation we have ever received at one time, and will make an enormous impact on our organization. Thanks to you all. Thank you, thank you, thanks to you.

~ From Project Linus National Headquarters, via Facebook.

Horizons Grief Center Receives Blankets

Children who experience the death of a loved one can feel lonely and frightened.  Hospice of Wake County, through their Horizons Grief Center, offers grief counseling to children and teens to help them better understand their feelings and learn to cope with their loss.  The Horizons Grief Center recently received a delivery of blankets that will provide a comforting "blanket hug" for the children who participate in the support groups, workshops, Camp Reflections, and other activities at the Center.  Molly Flynn, a grief counselor, writes to express her gratitude:

Susie,

The blankets you selected and sent are absolutely gorgeous—they are a perfect blend for all of the ages we serve. Unpacking them I could immediately feel the joy they will bring to our clients and how excited they will be! There is such diversity. Thanks to you and Irene and of course all the generous craftspeople for your compassion!

Thanks again and I will be in touch in the near future,

Molly Flynn, M.A., LPC-BE, NCC
Child and Teen Grief Counselor
Horizons Grief Center, a division of Hospice of Wake County