WASILLA-- Michelle Hoyt keeps a photograph of her daughter, Haley, in a nightstand alongside her bed. Haley was stillborn in March 2004.
The hand-quilted blanket with a cross-stitch design, which swaddles her in the photo, now rests in a box in Hoyt's closet. It serves as a reminder of the compassion both she and Haley received from the nurses at Providence Alaska Medical Center.
"It was really nice that they gave (the blanket) to her and that she had that for the period of time that we were able to hold her. She was treated as an actual human being, as a baby to me," Hoyt said.
This spring, Hoyt found a way to honor Haley and pass that compassion on: She founded a Mat-Su chapter of Project Linus. Named for Charles Schulz's blanket-toting "Peanuts" character, Project Linus is a national nonprofit organization that gives handmade blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need of comfort. Project Linus blanket makers are called "blanketeers."
Project Linus has chapters in all 50 states, according to its national Web site.
"Thanks to our many blanketeers and our chapter coordinators, millions of children and their families (nationwide) have been given comfort and security at a time when they need it most," said Mary Balagna, the organization's national vice-president, in a message posted on the Web site.
While Hoyt's chapter is not the first in Alaska, it is the only one active at this time, Balagna said by e-mail.
Hoyt says her goal is to supply local police cars, Alaska State Trooper cars and ambulances, as well as organizations like hospitals, clinics and child advocacy groups, with blankets for children in need. To help her reach that goal, she recruited her first blanketeers: her mother and sister, Patti and Kristine Larson.
"She came to me and said, 'Mom, I'd like to do this, but I need your help.' I jumped on it right away because I knew it would be something to help her grieve and to give back to the community," Patti Larson said.
Patti Larson, whom Hoyt describes as a "major quilter," said she's sewn and quilted for "many, many, many years." Sewing blankets for Hoyt's new endeavor, she said, sounded like a fun project to enjoy with her grown daughters.
The women are in search of other blanketeers as well, Hoyt said. This fall, they'd like to start holding blanket-making workshops for local church groups or community groups like Girl Scouts or senior centers.
"If anyone wants us to come and show them how to make a blanket, we would be more than happy to join them," Hoyt said.
Not all blankets need to be sewn though, she said. They can be knitted, crocheted, quilted, or tied (like the no-sew polar fleece blankets). The only stipulations for Project Linus blankets are that they be handmade of either 100-percent cotton, flannel, polar fleece or acrylic yarn; that they be washable and dryable; and that they not smell of cigarette smoke or other harsh chemicals.
And those not interested in blanketeering can still help out, Patti Larson said. Project Linus accepts fabric and yarn donations as well as gift certificates to fabric or craft stores like Wal-Mart, Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts or Michael's Arts & Crafts.
"We really want this thing to fly and be able to give out hundreds and hundreds of quilts a year," she said. "If we could just help some child or baby, you know, that's what we're here for."
