Third Quarter Newsletter, September 2018
CHAPTER COORDINATOR’S MESSAGE
Choosing to be one who doesn’t wish to rush time I find it hard to believe that fall is here. “AUTUMN, THE YEAR’S LAST, LOVELIEST SMILE” (William Cullem Byrant) Christmas just around the corner so this is my final formal communication with you before the holiday season. I want to thank each of you for the successes that you have helped our chapter obtain. Your hard work and generous donations have provided more blanket “hugs” than ever before. In addition, the requests for weighted blankets has reached an all-time high and you have so promptly responded with the shells needed to meet this growing demand. We are one of the few chapters who offer this service and it is greatly appreciated by the occupational therapists and other health care professionals working in our area. In addition, the feedback received from grateful parents as to difference these blankets are making is heart- warming, as the blankets not only impact the lives of their children but also their entire family life. Children are now sleeping through the night for the first time in years and are laying still at naptime while in day care. These are just a few of the success stories that we receive.
My wish to each of you is for a healthy and safe holiday season in which you can spend quality time with love ones.
BLANKET SIZES
This is the number one question that I am asked: what size blanket do you need? If I looked at our inventory and mentioned one size, soon I would soon have an abundance of that size and a shortage of others. It is a juggling act, but we always seem to be able to provide the sizes a facility needs. Therefore, to facilitate the consistency of our inventory, I am asking if you are making a large blanket (45” x 60” and up) that the next time you make a small (35” x 45” and up) or a medium (40’ x 50” and up). This should help us keep our inventory constant.
BOOKS FOR GOOD
This wonderful used book store located in Fletcher which has been a sponsor of Project Linus since their opening several years ago will be holding their annual book sale the weekend of Thanksgiving. Their regular hours are 12-5 Monday-Friday and 10-2 on Saturday. Those of you who have shopped there know that the prices are very reasonable so go and shop during the sale and you will want to take home bags and bags of books. This store has been very generous with accepting used books from you our members under the Project Linus name and sharing the proceeds for the sale of these books with us. I encourage each of you to pay a visit to the store at 50 Heritage Park Drive in Fletcher. It is located at the back of the property so don’t overlook it.
SCARVES AND HATS
We are once again collecting scarves and hats to be distributed to the homeless in the coming winter. Also, we have been asked by the Area Agency on Aging at the Land of Sky Regional Council to help them provide scarves to their clients at Christmas. If you have extra yarn and aren’t busy making dolls to be given with the smaller blankets perhaps you would be willing to make some hats or scarves. You saw this request in the last newsletter and it is still an ongoing project. Cold weather will soon be here and as we count our blessings let us remember that there are many out there who aren’t as fortunate. This has nothing to do with Project Linus and I am unable to give you an in-kind tax receipt for your work, but there isn’t any receipt that will fill up your heart as much as doing for others.
BELK CHARITY SALE
The Belk store in the Asheville Mall is having a private charity sale, providing an opportunity for local non-profits to raise money quickly and easily. How? With a Private Charity Sale from 6:00am – 1:00pm, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018. As a non-profit, Project Linus can raise money by selling event tickets for $5 each and keeping 100% of ticket proceeds collected outside of Belk. Ticket holders will receive 20% - 70% off Belk purchases storewide, including special savings on rarely-discounted brands. They will also receive $5.00 off their first purchase using the ticket purchased from Project Linus. Belk also has an additional incentive. The first one hundred customers showing up the morning of the sale will receive Belk Gift Cards, valued anywhere from $5 to $1000.
We have tickets available for you to start selling and I am hoping that each of you will purchase one and make this offer to your family members, friends and neighbors. These tickets can be used in any Belk Store.
Remember, this could be a great money maker for Project Linus, as we keep 100% of the ticket sales made by our Chapter. For tickets, call or email ellen at 828-645-8800 or gknoefel@charter.net
APPREICATION TEA
We have started working on plans for our annual tea to be held in the Spring of 2019. More information will be in the next newsletter, but I encourage each of you to be thinking of an item or items that you might contribute to our craft sale. As you are aware the money raised from this endeavor helps us meet the expenses that we incur during the year.
BLANKET DROP-OFF SITES
Asheville:
A.C. Moore Craft Store
River Ridge Shopping Center
Weaverville:
5 Little Monkeys Quilt and Sew
32 North Main Street
Hendersonville:
Grace Lutheran Church
1245 Sixth Avenue West
Joann Fabrics
Blue Ridge Mall
1800 Four Seasons Blvd.
(leave at the cutting counter)
THIRD QUARTER STATISTICS
In Out
July 492 398
August 280 469
September 507 423
Third Quarter Totals 1,279 1,290
With these latest numbers our chapter has now distributed 68,946 blankets! We are closing in on the magic number of 70,000.
Number of knitted dolls donated and distributed this quarter: 152
Weighted blankets donated to date: 1,062
CONTACTS
Chapter Coordinator
Ellen Knoefel 828-645-8800
Buncombe County
Ennis Julian 702-499-3567
Cherokee, Clay and Graham Counites
Ellen Knoefel 828-645-8800
Haywood County
Mariam Howell 828-456-5154
Henderson County
Helen McConnell 828-890-3067
Jackson and Macon Counties
Ellen Knoefel 828-645-8800
Madison County
Ellen Knoefel 828-645-8800
Mitchell County
Janet Jackson 661-319-8286
Transylvania County
Pat Crawford 828-883-8746
Yancy County
Asta Jeffcoat 828-682-4373