As coordinator for the San Jose chapter of Project Linus, the retired businesswoman and Willow Glen resident has wrapped hundreds of children all over Santa Clara County in homemade blankets to make sure they know someone cares.

Wright joined the San Jose chapter when it started in April 2002 and took over as its coordinator in October 2003 when her predecessor moved away. Through Project Linus, Wright turned her love for knitting into an opportunity to create objects of comfort for children during trying times.

"I've always felt that I'm here on Earth to share," she says. "The satisfaction of doing something for children in need is priceless."

The San Jose chapter has delivered 4,462 blankets to children and the numbers continue to grow.

"We do this 365 days a year, not just during Christmas," Wright says. "Children hurt in other months, too."

Project Linus, named after cartoonist Charles Schulz's endearing character, was established in 1995. The nationwide nonprofit group believes homemade blankets provide medicine for the soul. The same comfort Linus found in his ever-present blanket.

The project, which began with one person knitting a blanket for a child with cancer, has morphed into chapters throughout the United States. The program distributes blankets and quilts to children of all ages who are in hospitals, shelters and social service agencies

Every month, Wright's blanketeers cut, stitch, quilt and knit approximately 200 blankets, which are then delivered to hospitals, shelters and social service agencies--anywhere a child might need a hug.

The recipients may be ill or coping with a traumatic event.

When Wright heard about Jonathan Seepersad, a 5-year-old boy suffering from neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer, she immediately offered a beautiful football quilt and threw in a pink crocheted blanket for his sister, Arielle.

"For a mother with a sick child, it helps to know that a stranger cares," Wright says.

The Glen Willow apartment fire in March also prompted Wright to deliver approximately 25 blankets to a temporary Red Cross shelter at Willow Glen Middle School. The response of the children who received the blankets warmed her heart, Wright says.

Karen Borgstrom, associate director of disaster services for the American Red Cross Santa Clara Valley Chapter, says the blankets made a difference to the children and young people who received them.

"They've just been evacuated from their homes and have potentially lost everything," Borgstrom says. "It was great to be able to provide them with a blanket to keep them warm and give them a touch of home, comfort and security." The appreciation, gratitude and delight on the children's faces was "worth a million dollars," she says.

Khaled Khalifa, a social worker with the Santa Clara County department of family and children's services, has also been the beneficiary of Linus Project comfort. Whenever he has an urgent need for blankets, Wright's team delivers.

"It's as precious as a toy or a doll," he says. "The children grow very attached to the blankets."

There are also times these blankets of love cross Santa Clara County borders.

Last March, Wright team answered the call for help from chapters nationwide, after a tragic shooting at a Minnesota high school. The killing at Red Lake High School in Red Lake, Minn., left 10 dead and 15 wounded. The coordinator of the Minnesota chapter had only been on the job for two weeks when the plea for blankets went over the Internet.

"Within 12 hours, 600 blankets were pledged to her. This is Linus at work," says Wright, who sent 20 blankets immediately.

Labor of Love

Wright's work goes beyond making and delivering blankets. She is continually on the lookout for volunteers so she can increase the number of blankets distributed. Currently, she rotates the agencies where blankets are delivered. In addition she is the group's biggest cheerleader, keeping in touch and encouraging volunteers through emails and website updates.

Once a month, blanket makers meet at Wright's house to trade tips on construction. From patchwork quilts to blankets with intricate knit work, each piece is a work of art.

Asked for favorites, Wright is stumped. "I'll say one piece is my favorite and another comes in and that becomes my new favorite. Every piece is beautiful," she says.

Like her volunteers, who come from all walks of lives, the blankets come in all shapes, sizes and colors. "You never know what a child will like," she says.

She points out that being a volunteer doesn't mean you have to churn out a fixed number every month. Even one blanket can make a difference, says Wright, who stopped counting how many she had knitted when she hit 100.

These volunteers never get to meet the children who receive the comfort covers, but a label lets the children know that each blanket was made with love and especially for them, Wright says.

The small label on the corner of her blankets says it all: "Project Linus San Jose California Chapter--Handmade for you with loving care by San Jose Project Linus."

She requests that all her volunteers leave their first name on the label. It's a small gesture that goes a long way in letting the children know they are not alone, Wright says.

On the back of each label is also little prayer that reads, "May the angels watch over you during the steps of your journey."

The volunteers feel good knowing they've made someone life's a little better, Wright says.

Their efforts are also preserved in other ways. Wright keeps a scrapbook of all the thank you notes and newspaper clippings so her volunteers know their work is appreciated.

A trio of Willow Glen neighbors along Hudson Drive, who call themselves "the Hudson Hugs," get together regularly to make quilts for Project Linus. Turning their hobby into a purpose has been an enriching experience, the women say.

"It makes me feel good to create something with my hands that someone else is going to enjoy," says Gail Geiszler, a member of the trio and longtime Willow Glen resident. Geiszler was recruited by one of her neighbors.

A Family Affair

Wright's passion for Project Linus has spilled over into her family and taken up residence in her home.

Her husband, Bill, is an honorary member. "Though he doesn't sew, quilt or crochet," he helps with deliveries and administrative work, Wright says.

The Wrights' garage is filled with donated fabric scraps and a spare bedroom was converted into a storage room for rolls of donated yarn. But her husband isn't complaining. "I think it's a fantastic project that helps a lot of children that are going through trying times," he says.

The couple's three children and five grandchildren have also been pillars of support. Often they send her Project Linus-related gifts, like the Linus pendant on Wright's neck. Recently, she received a Linus tote bag to carry her supplies when she goes on her volunteer-recruitment talks.

Wright has even recruited volunteers in her water-aerobics class.

"I'll take all the help I can get," she says.

Her daughter, Nancy White, is proud of her mother. "She's a natural community organizer," White says. "She sends me comments and stories about blanket recipients that I know mean so much to her, as well as to the person cuddling up in the blanket." What amazes White the most is how her mother has taken on a "raft of technical skills to coordinate volunteers online."

"When Project Linus has a need, it motivates Mom to learn something new," says White, who runs a consulting firm that helps nonprofit organizations utilize online technologies. Besides helping Wright with technology issues, she constantly encourages her mother.

"It isn't often we have a chance to tell our mothers we're proud of them, particularly when it's about making the world a better place to live in," White says.

So it comes as no surprise to anyone who knows Wright that she has a license plate frame on her car that says, "Ask me about Project Linus."

For more information about volunteering for Project Linus, call Dolores Wright at 408.723.8097 or visit www.sjlinus.org. The next Project Linus San Jose chapter meeting will be held on May 25 at 7 p.m. at 2274 Elkhorn Court.