Pocatello group makes blankets for needy children

Every first Tuesday of the month, a group of women fill the basement of First Presbyterian Church to make sure all children in the area are warm.

The group is a local chapter of the national organization Project Linus, which is named after the blanket-carrying Peanuts character Linus. The Southeast Idaho Chapter started in June 2012 and has since made almost 2,600 blankets.

The organization provides all the materials for members to make blankets, which come from donations.

While the blankets are meant to keep kids warm, they’re also meant to send a message.

“It’s a message of comfort, it’s a message of love,” said Tracy Meyer, assistant leader for the chapter. “All of our blankets and quilts are handmade. For a child that receives one of our pieces, it’s a way of telling that child that he or she is loved.”

All of the blankets are measured and grouped by size and gender. Finished blankets are then distributed to the police department, fire department, local hospitals and a number of social service agencies.

Winona Wissert has been with the group for about a year, she joined because she had the skill set.

“I was excited about it because that’s one thing that I can do, is make quilts and crotchet,” Wissert said.

After delivering blankets in Blackfoot, her investment in the group has changed.

“(It) makes me feel good to know that they’re actually getting them and that they’re using them,” Wissert said. “I call and see that they need them that next month. It is a good feeling to know they have something to comfort them.”

The group meets from 1 p.m. to around 3:30 p.m. every first Tuesday of the month, except for January and July.

To see how you can join or donate, you can go to their website or call the chapter’s coordinator, Joyce Weaver, at 208-478-2170.