On Thursday, March 19, Sebasticook Valley Health (SVH) was presented with 24 hand-made quilts from area women as part of Project Linus, which provides handmade ‘security blankets’ for children who are seriously ill or traumatized. SVH President and CEO/EMHS Senior Vice President Terri Vieira, with Director of Nursing Amanda White, accepted the quilts from Project Linus Kennebec County coordinator, Merlene Sanborn. SVH volunteer chaplain Rev. Laura Peckman, along with other quilters from Bangor Savings Bank – Carrie Orcutt, Kathryn Taylor, and Robin Chase – were in attendance during the presentation.
“These lovely hand-made quilts will help comfort our pediatric patients who come to SVH for care,” explained Vieira. “A hospital can be a scary place for children, especially when they’re sick or hurt, and a quilt can help comfort a child who may be in pain or in need of care.”
Project Linus is a national volunteer program that collects and distributes over five million blankets every year to children who are seriously ill or traumatized. Named for the Charles Schulz’s Peanuts character, Linus, who was known for carrying a blanket, Project Linus gives new, washable, handmade blankets to children 0 to 18 years old who are in stressful situations, like an emergency room visit, x-ray for a broken bone, or a lab test. There are currently five Project Linus chapters in Maine and over 350 chapters in the US.
Project Linus relies on donations of money and blankets or quilts from crafters and community groups. For more information about Project Linus, please visit their website at ProjectLinus.org.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Yarbrough at 487.4000.
Shown: SVH received 24 handmade quilts from Project Linus