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Project Linus: Making Blankets to Comfort Boys and Girls

WAYNE COUNTY — Project Linus is a non-profit that gives blankets to kids all around the country. Whether they are sick or hurt, “blanketeers” ...

WAYNE COUNTY -- Project Linus is a non-profit that gives blankets to kids all around the country. Whether they are sick or hurt, "blanketeers" work hard to make each blanket unique. Wednesday, the Wayne County chapter made a special delivery.

Holly Hubert has lived in Wayne County most of her life. As she - and her kids - got older, she decided she wanted to give back. She did so in the form of blankets.

"State police barracks here at Honesdale was always one of my goals, and happily we've been able to accomplish that," Hubert said.

Hubert is the chapter coordinator for Wayne County's Project Linus. She started the chapter in 2014. Wednesday, Hubert dropped off 40 blankets to the Honesdale State Police Barracks in Cherry Ridge Township.

"Just having a warm blanket, to give to a child is something that is wonderful for us. It's a great source of comfort for little kids when they go through something traumatic," said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Mark Keyes.

There will be two blankets in each car, all handmade with love by other volunteer groups in the area.

"The blankets will put a smile on the kid's face. They'll be able to identify with a lot of the characters that appear on the blankets," said Trooper Keyes.

Volunteers with the Wayne County chapter of Project Linus have donated over 2,500 blankets since 2014. They've donated to elementary schools, disaster relief programs, and hospitals, including the emergency room at Wayne Memorial Hospital.

"We allow the kids to pick out what they want so then they feel like they're joining in. That gives them a little more interaction with us, then they begin to trust us much more," said emergency room nurse Christina Johanson.

Nurses at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale have seen first-hand what kind of impact the blankets have on kids.

"Especially when they're not feeling well, to know you're getting them in the right direction or you're making them feel better, it just makes it happier, easier and smoother for everyone else," Johanson said.

Joyce Malicky is the volunteer coordinator with Wayne Memorial Hospital and says Project Linus has been such an asset to the hospital.

"It's something they can take home with them and hopefully have good memories about that," Malicky said.

Nurses say whenever they are running low on blankets, volunteers with Project Linus work hard to restock.

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