Change is never easy, and Linda Gorman knew moving to Maryland would be a big adjustment. When her husband, Tim, received a job transfer in 2004, the pair moved from their southern California hometown of Barstow to Arnold.
In an effort to get accustomed to her new community, Gorman sought volunteer opportunities, but initially had trouble finding a good fit. When she stumbled upon an advertisement for Project Linus in The Capital, Gorman believed she found the perfect match.
“They were looking for volunteers who could knit, crochet, or sew and I thought, ‘perfect,’” Gorman says. “I had been sewing since my early teens, and my grandmother taught me to quilt, so I’ve been quilting now for almost 45 years.”
Project Linus, named after the famous Peanuts comic strip character, is a national nonprofit organization that creates handmade blankets for children who are ill, traumatized, or in need. The blankets created by the volunteers are distributed to local hospitals, shelters, and children in Child Protective Services. The goal is to provide comfort and security for children going through difficult situations. The Anne Arundel County chapter was formed in 2002. Since its inception, it has distributed more than 23,000 blankets total, and more than 2,500 in the last year.
Gorman began volunteering with the Anne Arundel County chapter of Project Linus in 2011 as a blanket creator, or “blanketeer.” The organization allows Gorman to utilize her love for quilting and sewing while supporting a great cause.
“I would have never thought there’d be a nonprofit that would so closely match [my] skills and passions,” Gorman says. “[Project Linus] meets a need for comfort, security, and warmth at a point when families are facing a difficult time.”
In 2013, when the chapter was in need of a new coordinator, Gorman stepped up. As chapter coordinator, she is responsible for communicating information to and from the Linus National Headquarters, sending out the chapter newsletter, organizing local chapter meetings, and assisting with the distribution of blankets.
According to Cynthia Keller, a volunteer with the Anne Arundel County chapter of Project Linus, Gorman is continuously finding ways to help the organization thrive. In 2018, she introduced learning stations at chapter meetings to help quilters, knitters, crocheters, and fleece blanket makers hone their skills. She also helped form a partnership with the Anne Arundel County chapter of Backpack Buddies to provide blankets for children in Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Last October, 200 blankets were delivered to students in seven different schools.
“Many volunteers are part of this organization, but it always takes a coordinator to glue all the pieces together,” Keller says. “Linda’s integrity is admirable. She is a quiet woman who is constantly praising others while taking little credit.”
Gorman credits her continual involvement to how much she believes in Project Linus’ mission. She admits that she often puts in extra hours simply because of how much she enjoys the work.
“Linus is just fun,” Gorman says. “We are simply here to give and to give back, and it’s a wonderful way to do it.”
To learn more about Project Linus, visit Projectlinus.org or Linusannapolis.org.