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LAS CRUCES - Sewing machines, knitting needles, yarn, colorful cotton and fleece fabric where used to create hundreds of warm, soft blankets and afghans for children in need on Saturday by blanketeers, as they're known, with Project Linus, during the organization's annual Make a Blanket Day event at Grace Covenant Church.
More than 100 volunteers - from experienced quilters to young blanketeers - cut, sewed, quilted, knitted and crocheted about 200 handmade blankets during the event.
"It's so wonderful to see so many volunteers because these blankets meet a great need for comfort for children," said Suzi Stoltzfus, Las Cruces Project Linus Coordinator.
Founded in 1995, the national nonprofit organization aims "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," according to the group's mission statement.
More than 3 millions blankets have been distributed nationwide by thousands of volunteers in hundreds of Project Linus chapters.
The Las Cruces chapter began in 1999 and by 2009 had created and delivered more than 10,000 blankets. As of Jan. 14, 300 blankets were created by local Project Linus blanketeers, Stoltzfus said.
Thirty seven local organizations are supplied with blankets through Project Linus, including law enforcement agencies and first responders, hospitals, Southern New Mexico Cancer Center, Hospice and the Child
"It just breaks your heart to see a child having to go through chemotherapy," said Stoltzfus, recalling a recent recipient of one of the organization's blankets. "We want to be able to offer children like this some comfort through a soft blanket made with love."
Stephanie Roybal, who volunteered during Saturday's event, knows all too well the positive impact a simple blanket can have on a child who has endured a traumatic event. As an advocate with the Las Cruces Police Department's Victim Assistance Unit, Roybal said Project Linus blankets give children "something to hold on to" during a scary time.
"Sometimes children need to be removed quickly from a harmful situation and they're brought to us, not wearing shoes or a coat," she said. "These blankets provide them with warmth and security. I swear, these blankets are magically made. There's so much love in them."
Elaina Bussanmas, of Las Cruces, also had very personal reasons to support Project Linus during Saturday's Make a Blanket event.
As a first-time parent, Bussanmas was given a Project Linus blanket soon after taking a 10-month old child into her home through a relative placement program.
"I had never had a baby before and only had a short time to prepare for her arrival," she said. "I soon realized that with a baby in the house, you can never have too many blankets."
Bussanmas and her daughter, Amber, who is now an energetic and playful 5-year-old, both volunteered their time, making blankets and canvass bags to be donated to other children throughout the community.
Mother and daughter brought the quilted blanket they received almost five years ago with them to Saturday's event.
"It's so big and soft and so thoughtfully made," Bussanmas said, pointing out fabric cut in the shape of hearts that was sewn on the quilted blanket. "I remember holding Amber in this blanket when she was a baby and putting her down for naps with it. It really meant something special to us."
Amber, who was officially adopted by Bussanmas and her husband two years ago, said she doesn't spend as much time with the blanket now that she's older.
"When I was a baby I liked to cuddle with my blanket," she said while coloring hearts onto a canvass bag to be donated by Project Linus to Families and Youth, Inc. "I like my blanket a lot because it has pink (fabric)."
Bussanmas said she plans to save the Project Linus blanket so that Amber may pass it down to her own children someday.
Finished blankets and donations of cotton fabric and yarn may be donated throughout the year at three regular drop-off spots: Sew What's New, 3961 E. Lohman Ave.; Bernina Sewing & Design Center, 1601 E. Lohman Ave.; and Organ Mountain Quilt Shop, 300 N. Downtown Mall.
For more information, visit www.projectlinus.org or contact Suzi Stoltzfus at (575) 526-3695.
Lauren E. Toney can be reached at (575) 541-5447; ltoney@lcsun-news.com.
