Susan Forrest says she has 10 completed handmade afghans ready to donate to homeless shelters this year.
Owner of the Petite Yarn Shop in Geneva, Forrest chose to take part in a national program called Warm Up America!, which is seeking to donate 20,000 blankets for the homeless by the end of the year.
Forrest put out a call for people to make some of the 49 squares for each afghan and then help put them together. So far, about 250 people from all over the United States have contributed to the project, she said.
“The number of squares sent in has ranged from one square from one lady to 155 from another,” Forrest said.
The project was started by Evie Rosen, the owner of a yarn shop in Wausau, Wis., who promoted the project at trade conventions. Since then, several trade organizations have picked up the idea, Forrest said.
Rosen sends out information packets on how to start local programs.
This year’s afghans will go to three shelters in Kane County: the Community Crisis Center in Elgin, a home for battered women and their children, and Hesed House and Mutual Ground, two shelters for the homeless in Aurora, she said.
Forrest said she still needs volunteers to help sew together several more afghans. She said she hopes to have everything finished by mid-October in order to distribute the goods by November.
The Petite Yarn Shop is located at 302 S. 3rd St. For information on contributing to the project, call Forrest at 232-8489.
