In a heartwarming display of community spirit, student volunteers came together today to create over 50 handmade blankets for hospitalized local children.
Members from Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) Circle K and community volunteers for Project Linus collaborated together in Escalante Hall to distribute blankets and spread a little bit of joy to sick children.
“I decided that it would just be a nice time to just get my mind off of all my classes and I just like to kind of volunteer and just spend time doing something valuable,” senior outdoor recreation major Adam Vasquez said.
Project Linus, a national organization dedicated to providing comfort and warmth to children in hospitals, has been making a significant impact in the Grand Junction area for the past decade. Founded by Kerrie and Michael Strasser after their daughter received a blanket from the organization while in Denver, the Grand Junction chapter has been a beacon of hope for many families in need.
The collaboration between Project Linus and CMU’s Circle K Club has been instrumental in expanding the reach of their humanitarian efforts. Circle K is the CMU Chapter of the national Kiwanis Club of Grand Junction, and shares Project Linus’s goal of creating a better community by providing resources and aid to those in need.
“We collaborate with the larger downtown club. We go and speak there and they help fund us for some other things, not just Project Linus but they’re also pretty involved with this as well. So a lot of those members from there come in,” CMU Circle K President Michaela Rossen said.
The process of creating the blankets involves mostly fundraising, which the Circle K club spends the majority of the semester accruing. Then, they purchase the fleece, cut it to the right sizes, and then tie them together with the help of volunteers. This event marks just one of the two annual blanket making sessions, with a total of 100-120 blankets being produced on campus and donated each year.
“If I were to tell them anything, it would be that they’re courageous and strong people. They are able to see through hurt and pain and I think that is very admirable,” Vasquez said.
But the Circle K Club’s commitment to serving the community doesn’t stop with blanket making. Members also volunteer at the food bank, participate in Habitat for Humanity “build days” and organize canned food drives for Kids Aid Project Backpack.
The next Project Linus event will be held next semester, but those interested in making an immediate difference in the community are encouraged to join the Grand Junction Chapter or specifically the CMU Circle K Club to get involved in their humanitarian efforts.
Through their collaboration and dedication to serving others, Project Linus and Circle K Club exemplify the power of university and community engagement as well as the warmth of human kindness.
