NWPA Project Linus: May 2015

Saturday, May 30, 2015

June Newsletter

June, 2015

Welcome to Summer Blanketeers,

Now that we are finally able to get outside and do our yard work and enjoy some much needed fresh air, please continue your support to our chapter. During the summer months our inventory naturally goes down. But unfortunately the need is still there for blankets.

We are getting closer to our Summer activities with Senior Day at the Erie Zoo in July and Celebrate Erie in August. We are still in need of some tracing of the 11” X 11” squares. If anyone would like a stack to trace, please contact me.

ODDS & ENDS:

- A Blanketeer has requested if anyone has some of those older panels with characters on them and are not using them, or sees them during the Garage Sale Season to get them and contact me. We can make arrangements for pick up and reimbursement.

- UPMC Hamot NICU has an ongoing need of gently used receiving blankets- store bought, that they use to support the tiny heads of the infants in their carriers. They can be dropped off at all of our local drop off locations.

REMINDERS:

- Here are some Approximate Sizes for our blankets: Preemie- 30 X 30 Baby – 36 X 36

- Medium – 40 X 60 Large – 45 X 72.

- In the upcoming months our calendar is a bit full of fun activities, if you are interested in helping with any of these events, please let me know. Even an hour at a booth would allow a volunteer to take a break or go for dinner. We are required at all times to have a Representative on Sight.

- Often during an event we may have School volunteers, City volunteers and they would not be in a position to answer questions about our organization.

Thank you so very much.

Monthly meetings:

June 3 rd - Millcreek Sewing Center 6044 Peach Street 1:00pm- 4:00pm

June 8^th - Yaple’s Vacuum & Sewing 801 W. 26^th Street 9:00am-11:00am

Looking Ahead:

July 29^th- Senior Day @ the Erie Zoo

August 11^th- Erie Gives

August 14^th-16^th- Celebrate Erie

This year I will try to get information out via Facebook as well. You can find us at:

· NWPA Project Linus - Like us -and that automatically will add you to our friend list.

· www.nwpaprojectlinus.blogspot.com- is our web page

Warmly,

JoAnn Burkhart

NWPA Project Linus – Coordinator

814-864-9389

Nwpaprojectlinus@hotmail.com

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NWPA Project Linus is one of 368 chapters of the national organization Project Linus. Our chapter covers the counties of Erie, Crawford, Mercer,Warren in PA and Chautauqua County in NY.

Nationally Project Linus has given 7.7 million blankets to children in need

Locally our chapter has given 50,698 since our founding in 1998

Contact Information: Chapter Coordinator-JoAnn Burkhart

Phone- 814-392-5583

Email- nwpaprojectlinus@hotmail.com

1446 Patterson Ave, Erie, PA 16508

Mission:

Project Linus is a 100% volunteer non-profit organization providing handmade security blankets for children who are seriously ill, traumatized or in need. Our blanketeers make handmade blankets to give to these babies and children to keep. Our goal is to help these little ones through whatever they are going through, be it an illness, hospital stay, surgery, tragedy, loss of a loved one, whatever the trauma with the love and comfort of a security blanket.

First it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."

Second it is our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.

Where Blankets go locally:

Baby First, Bair Foster Foundation, Bethesda Children's Home,

Caring Place, Children's Advocacy Center, Children's Aid Society, Crawford County Human Services- CYS, Community Shelter Service, Crime Victim Center,

Erie Family Center, Erie Free Store

Home, Family Services ( Union City)

Good Sheppard Center ,

Harbor Creek Youth Service's, House of Healing,

Individuals, International Institute,

Keystone Foster Care & Youth,

Mercy Center for Women, Mercer County Children & Youth, Millcreek Community Hospital,

Nurse Family Partnership,

Office of Children & Youth Services,

Refuge Homeless Shelter-First United Methodist, Royal Family kids

SafeNet, Safe Start, Salvation Army, Sarah Reed Children's Home, St. Vincent's Health Center, Shriner's Hospital

Title 5,

UPMC Hamot Hospital,

WIC, WCA Hospital , Women Care Center

Where and When we Meet:

First Wednesday of each month-

Millcreek Sewing ,

6044 Peach Street 1:00- 4:00 Sewing kits and machines provided

Second Monday of Each month- **** NEW LOCATION ****

1446 Patterson Ave Erie, PA 16508

9:00-11:00 Working meeting, sewing on labels, sorting blankets

Third Thursday of each month-

Doug Yaple's Vacuum,

1518 E. 38th Street 10:00-2:00 sewing kits provided

Drop off Locations:

Erie County-

NWPA Project Linus

JoAnn Burkhart

1446 Patterson Ave.

Erie, PA 16508

814-864-9389 814-392-5583

Kelly' Sewing Corner

3330 W. 26th Street

Erie, PA 16506

814-838-7158

Marie Bissell

Lake City- 814-774-4884

Tena Pomeroy

814-969-4433 ( Albion,Pa)

Super Stitch

10429 West Main Street * New Location*

North East, PA 16428

814-725-3335

Millcreek Sewing Center

6044 Peach Street

Erie, PA 16509

814-866-8227

Doug Yaple's Vacuum

1815 E. 38th Street

Erie, PA 16510

814-897-9337

Doug Yaple's West

2301 W. 12th Street ( Schaal Plaza)

814-616-6100

JoAnn Fabrics

7200 Peach Street

Erie, PA 16509

1-814-866-3197

Crawford County:

Jackie Gildea

Crawford County Assistant

1-814-720-0702

Fox's Sew & Vac Sales & Service

Downtown Mall

Meadville, PA 16335

814-333-1400

JoAnn Fabrics

18921 Park Ave PLZ

Meadville, PA

1-814-724-1358

Warren County:

Ronnieann Walters

814-723-5408

Mercer County:

Linda Hajtol

724-588-3289

116 N. Pitt Street

Mercer, PA 16137

St. Michael's Church

76 North High Street

Greenville, PA 16125

724-588-9800

JoAnn Fabrics

2481 E. State Street

Heritage, PA 16148

724-981-4000

2020 Updated Blanket Sizes

Preemie- 30 X 30 36 X 36

Baby- 36 X 40 40 X 40

Medium- 40 X 50 40 X 60

Large- 45 X 60 45 X 72

Local blanket requirements:

1. Blankets need to be made with NEW, CLEAN, WASHABLE materials in infant, child or teen friendly colors. These blankets are meant to be colorful, cheerful, and cuddly and loved.

2. We accept new/not used knitted, crocheted, quilted and no-sew fleece tied blankets (either double or single thickness).

3. Due to children’s allergies: blankets coming from smoking households or households with pets need to be washed prior to donation.

3. A -Due to children's allergies and possible respiratory issues, please refrain from the use of dryer sheets, fabric softeners and scented bags when either laundering or storing blanket making material.

4. Please keep in mind hospital equipment and small fingers.

If you are hand tying a quilt ,secure the batting into outer seams and if the blanket is tied, please anchor it every 4 - 6 inches so that the batting doesn't bunch up. Cut strings short.

Weave in all yarn ends on crocheted and knitted blankets. No long fringe.

5.Once again due to allergies please no wool or wool blend in yarn or fabric

6.Check your blanket carefully for straight pins. Its better you find that pin and not the child who receives your blanket.

7.No buttons, ribbons or similar decorative items on a blanket. They can be a choking hazard to children.

8.We cannot accept blankets with puffy type paint on the surface of a blanket. The thick stuff peels off - we don't want a child eating it. We recently received a blanket that had so much paint on the surface it was like pulling apart Velcro when we tried to unfold it.

9.We do accept blankets decorated with fabric markers,(please note regular markers or Sharpies bleed when washed)

10.We cannot accept blankets with any religious connotations, or seasonal prints.

Kids Helping Kids Program: This program is designed for young children or those who are not old enough to make no-sew fleece blankets. We encourage older groups and adults to consider making no-sew fleece tied blankets for their community involvement projects. For more information please contact JoAnn Burkhart. 1-814-864-9389 or 1-814-392-5583

To Request a blanket for your organization or an individual child contact JoAnn Burkhart.1-814-864-9389 or nwpaprojectlinus@hotmail.com

Basic Fleece Blanket Single Layer making directions:

1 1/2- 2 yards of fleece

Trim 2 selvage sides

Cut out 5" squares from each corner

cut 1" strips that you then tie first loosely, then second tie a bit tighter. otherwise you end up with an oval shape blanket rather than a rectangle that you started with.