Sisterhood’s project brings warmth, comfort to children in need

Posted

EAST GREENWICH – Members of Temple Torat Yisrael’s Sisterhood met on a recent Sunday to make a difference in the lives of Rhode Island children in crisis.

To support Project Linus, a volunteer, nonprofit national organization, members hosted a Project Linus Mitzvah Day and made fleece blankets to provide security, comfort, warmth and love to children in traumatic situations.

The women began the project with  store-bought pieces of cloth, which they altered by hand, either with crocheted edges, sewn-on appliques or tied fringes.  Martha Sholes, coordinator of the Rhode Island chapter of Project Linus, along with her assistant, Harriet Wasser, demonstrated how to properly cut and tie the fleece.

Fourteen women, including a mother/daughter pair, spent the morning socializing and working hard to finish their blankets so Sholes could take them with her. She donates at least 125 blankets every couple of weeks to the Hasbro Children’s Hospital, in Providence, other hospitals, children in foster care and the Crossroads Rhode Island homeless shelters in Providence.

Members also generously donated fabric, batting and yarn.

At one point, Sholes was invited to give an impromptu lesson on her project to the whole Cohen Religious School, as many of the students were curious about the activity and attracted to the multicolored fabrics and notions.

To become a “blanketeer” and make a difference in a child’s life, contact Sholes at esholes@aol.com.

If you are interested in joining the Sisterhood at Torat Yisrael, email TTYSisterhood@gmail.com. You do not need to be a member of Temple Torat Yisrael to join the Sisterhood, which does activities monthly.

Submitted by Leah Ross-Coke, a member of the Torat Yisrael Sisterhood.

Torat Yisrael, Sisterhood, Project Linus