Times may be tough economically but across the state of Connecticut people are still giving. They are members of group focused on bringing comfort to children in crisis.
The organization is called Project Linus.
"The mission really is pretty simple. We take homemade blankets that are made and we donate them to children in need," said Chapter Coordinator, Rachel Lank.
"You think about it. When you're sick a nice warm blanket brings you some comfort."
Recently we visited one of the groups that make the blankets.
"Today, we have folks from St. John's Lutheran Church and what they're doing is they're making quilts," said Lank.
It's something the women of St. John’s Lutheran have done for years: get together, socialize and sew.
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“I love it. I don't want to miss it," said volunteer Irma Fenner.
"A lot of quilts. But we enjoy doing it," said
Margaret Plocharczyk, another volunteer.
The group has handcrafted 1,500 quilts over the years, all destined for different charities.
Now they're cause of choice is Project Linus.
Various groups around Hartford meet monthly to make the blankets.
In New Britain, each woman plays a particular part in the process.
"Mine is sewing all around and then finishing. That's my job," said Fenner.
When the assembly line of quilt making is done for the day, the quilts are delivered.
This batch went to the Department of Children and Families in Hartford.
Others go to state troopers to carry in their cars..
Finally, some end up at the UConn Health Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
"You could see the mood change as soon as we walked into the room. Obviously, these people are concerned about their children's health and we walked in with a colorful bucket of blankets and they just went nuts," said Lank.
It's been a big comfort to Melissa Harding and her baby son Ty who was born ten weeks premature.
"With everything that's going on in the world there are still people out there that are caring about other people and they want to protect babies and take care of babies," said Harding.
Reactions like that are what keep this group going.
"We thought about stopping because the group is getting smaller but when we heard they're needed so much we decided to keep quilting," said Plocharczk.
They'll continue, as long as there's a need.
