Volunteers work together for National Make a Blanket Day

The Northeast Texas Chapter of Project Linus celebrated National Make a Blanket Day with a gathering of volunteers on Feb. 21 at Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant. Blanketeers, as they are called in the Project Linus organization, both experienced and new were able to make a blanket to be given to a child in crisis.

Project Linus is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization with hundreds of chapters across the nation. Their mission is, “Providing security through blankets,” by making and donating different kinds of blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.

Debra Beaumont, founder of the Northeast Texas Chapter, describes the goal of the event was to make blankets and reach new people who can learn how to make a blanket.

“We are always prepping for disasters and always prepping for new needs,” stated Beaumont.

Founded in June 2022, the Northeast Texas Chapter has given over a total of 3,000 blankets away to children in need. Since Jan. 1 of this year, this local chapter has distributed at least 164 blankets across the seven counties it serves. The counties they serve are Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Hopkins, Morris, and Titus.

They donate blankets to emergency rooms and pediatric centers within six different hospitals, Child Protective Services, Camp Braveheart, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Cypress Basin Hospice, Expectant Heart, SAFE-T, domestic violence prevention organizations, numerous shelters and churches, and first responders across all seven counties.

Beaumont describes the event exceeded her expectations with more new first time blanketeers than she was anticipating. She expressed her admiration for the blanketeers, “I have such a great group here... without them, I’d be lost.”

The local chapter has multiple meeting locations: Every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Lone Star Baptist Church located at 526 Wildrose in Lone Star and the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at Tennison Memorial United Methodist Church located at 313 Church Street in Mount Pleasant.