Local children usually are the recipients of blankets the Minford chapter of Project Linus makes.

But not always.

“Five blankets were sent to a Kansas church where 300 were staying after the tornado (earlier this month),” local coordinator Pat Smith said. “All 400 Project Linus chapters were sending blankets to Kansas children.”

The Minford chapter works with the national Project Linus organization, where volunteers called “Blanketeers” make blankets for children up to age 18.

The blankets are sent to a variety of local and national organizations, including Stepping Stone House, Salvation Army, Scioto County Domestic Violence Shelter, Vern Riffe School and Southern Ohio Medical Center.

“This week our chapter sent five blankets to TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) in Arlington, Va.,” Smith said. “TAPS is the first organization to provide a support network for families facing the loss of a military member.”

Children of military dead take their blankets to Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day and spread them out on grave sites.

The group has donated 3,562 blankets to children, including 116 for Hurricane Katrina victims the past three years.

Materials for the blankets are donated to the group. “Peanuts” creator Charles Schultz authorized the 400 chapters to use the Linus name, and more than 2 million blankets have been given to children to use when they need comforted.

Linus is a “Peanuts” character who turns to his blanket in times of stress.

Volunteers who cannot make it to Minford now can drop off their blankets at Lil's Quilting Shop in Portsmouth.

“Our new drop-off site can be a lifesaver to our Project Linus Minford chapter,” Smith said. “Lil's Quilting Shop will provide a safe drop-off of volunteers to leave their precious hand-crafted blankets for Project Linus.”