Photo by Jeff Baughan Amber Skidmore, director of the Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter of the Linus Project, sits with three blankets recently finished for the project. The Parkersburg Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1901 Park Ave. across from City Park, is hosting a Blanket Day for the project on Feb. 10.

PARKERSBURG — It’s an all-day stitching party for people who like to make blankets on Feb. 10 at the Parkersburg Seventh Day Adventist Church. In the process, the Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter of the Linus Project is the beneficiary.

“The whole purpose of Project Linus is to make blankets for children in need or in crisis,” said Amber Skidmore, chapter director. “The ages for children who receive the blankets go from birth through 18 years of age. We accept all blankets, the only criteria is the blankets have to be handmade in some sort of way. No store bought blankets.”

The chapter is one of two Linus Project groups in West Virginia, according to Skidmore. “We work in the counties of Wood, Wirt, Jackson, Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane and we have Washington in Ohio,” she said.

“The women from the Seventh Day Adventist Church approached and asked to host a Blanket Day,” Skidmore said. “The last Blanket Day was Nov. 18 and we received blankets, stitched blankets, stitched labels into blankets telling which chapter it came from.”

The Parkersburg Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1901 Park Ave. across from City Park, is hosting the blanket day 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 10.

“The usual infant size blanket is 36 inches width and length while a crib size is usually 40-by-60 inches,” Skidmore said. “We will take blankets all the way through twin bed size. The blankets can be quilted, knitted, fleece, crocheted… We’ve had people just do a top and bring it in and others would finish it.

“And if people just want to bring in donations to make the items,” she said, “such as yarn, materials; then we’ll take that too.”

J&M Used Bookstore near the Southside Kroger also accepts donations for Project Linus (projectlinus.org), she said.

The website states materials must be new, unused, washable and free of contaminants such as mold, mildew and smoke. They should be cotton or cotton/polyester blends.

Cotton or acrylic batting and washable yarns are acceptable. As far as the “handmade” portion, home sewing machines, knitting machines and the like are perfectly fine.

“Most of the blankets stay within the counties I previously listed, but we do send blankets to the Ronald McDonald House in Charleston, Wheeling Hospital’s pediatric floor and the Lighthouse Advocacy Center in Paden City,” she said. “We also provide C.A.S.A. with blankets when they need them.”

The chapter began in May 2016 and early blankets went to Roane County when the county was hit with flooding.

“When there is a national event disaster like that, chapter directors just start networking to see what they can do about supplying blankets,” she said.

Lately though, Skidmore said the blankets are staying in the area.

“Lots of blankets are going to families ripped apart by drug use,” she said. “We have kids in an after school project at Belpre Elementary School, the Pioneer Pilots, making blankets. You know, kids are making blankets for kids; kids taking care of kids; kids making blankets for kids they don’t know and may never know. You got to love that.”