I’m always on the lookout for great soul food and I have found another one: Project Linus, Providing security through blankets. In 1995, Karen Loucks read an article in Parade magazine about a child going through chemotherapy who had a blanket that helped her through it all. The idea for Project Linus was born.

The mission of Project Linus is two-fold. They want to provide a blanket for every child going through some sort of trauma and they want to provide you a sense of “feel good” by giving of your time. Check out their website for information on becoming Blanketeer!

Remember when you were young and you loved getting mail. I would save all the stickers or stamps and give them to my children. After receiving a gift as a child, I was required to write a thank you. Getting the return letter was so much fun.

Make a Child Smile or MACS is an organization for children with serious illnesses. They ask for volunteers to send cheery cards or small gifts to these children. It’s very easy to do. You don’t even have to sign up. Although it is good to sign up for their newsletter so you are aware of changes in their programs.

You can choose to send one card to one child. Or you can send many cards to many children as often as you want. The home page posts 3 featured children who you may choose to send a card to. By clicking on their picture, you will get a story on that child and their address. Or you can check out all the children and send as many cards as you want. Or you can check the urgent children page which lists children who have recently had a traumatic experience.

I like that there is no commitment. You do not have to do this every week or month. You can choose to send one or twenty cards. How crafty are you feeling today? This is a great excuse to break out those stickers or colored markers. Your card can be store bought, but wouldn’t it be more fun to be crafty. I just sent out three cards. I used the folding iris technique to make covers for my cards and just wrote a springy poem inside.

So make a child smile by sending a fun card. For more information, check out the Make a Child Smile website.

This group was organized by a member of A.B.A.T.E., a local organization defending the rights of bikers. They have 11 chapters here in the Pacific Northwest. Every year this groups does a variety of fundraisers including several toy drives through various chapters. They also auction off a Harley to raise funds to purchase much needed wheelchairs. Last year they purchased 16 wheelchairs for Shriners Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Won’t you help them pass that goal this year.

You can find out more and even participate in the toy drive by going to www.ABATEofOregon.net.

The Children’s Book Bank in Portland, Oregon was opened to address this issue.  Owner Dani Swope works to collect new and gently used books from the community to give to preschool children who don’t have books of their own at home.

As a volunteer, I spent an evening helping her sort and clean books that she would later package into bundles to bring to children in need.  She talked about her experiences teaching, discovering that the problems she had teaching them math had more to do with their lack of reading skills than lack of math skills.  She showed an obvious passion for her work, thrilled and a bit amazed at both the generosity of the community and the need she is trying to fulfill.

Sorting through the books brought back many memories of my children when they were young.  Many books I remembered reading to them, many I knew they would have loved.  I can’t even imagine a world without books.

For more information or if you want to volunteer or donate books, you can contact Dani at:  danis@childrensbookbank.org.