While many of us sit idle during lunch breaks, a group of caring individuals known as The Blanketeers, keep their hands busy with knitting or crocheting, creating hand-crafted items for people in need. At Disney Television Animation, a small but dedicated group of Blanketeers, led by storyboard artist Cathy Jones, weaves a web of kindness with yarn and fabrics donated by people who support their cause.
The Blanketeers just celebrated their 20th year and they craft everything from blankets and scarves to stuffed animals. Eugene Salandra, who’s been a part of the group since 2004, learned to crochet from his great-great-aunt, Lula, when he was a child. A production board artist, Salandra has been with Disney for 20 years, working on projects such as Sofia the First. He was persuaded to join The Blanketeers by colleagues who’d decided to get involved more directly and wanted to loop him in (no pun intended, he insists, with a laugh). They started a little group that he would later lead along with writer Kate Moran.
Moran, who is currently working on an unnamed Disney project, says she was fascinated by The Blanketeers, whom she would see knitting during lunch. “I actually learned to knit and crochet by joining The Blanketeers about 10 years ago.” Anyone who wants to learn can participate. Lori Campos, who is The Blanketeers’ regional leader for the Los Angeles area, finds local groups that need their help. Recipients remain anonymous for a variety of reasons: “Many of our items will go to people in our community,” Moran explains. “We don’t know who it’s going to go to, but we know that it will be appreciated.”
“Many of our items will go to people in our community… We don’t know who it’s going to go to, but we know that it will be appreciated.”
Kate Moran
“Just knowing that the work of your hands will bring comfort or joy to someone you will never know—it’s kind of a nice feeling,” says Salandra. “You’re not expecting any response and you’re freely giving it…there’s no string of attachment there, it’s just a gift and whoever receives it, hopefully, it brings them some comfort.” He finds it’s also a social occasion because the group often sits and works together. “There’s a sense of bonding, community and sharing,” he adds. There are around five to ten core regulars who get together once a week, often at lunchtime—with many working on their own as well.
Finished projects are collected by Campos who oversees distribution. They often work with Operation Gratitude, creating scarves for the military. Recently, they donated items to the LA Rescue Mission for the homeless community—“to just hopefully get them a little warmth and comfort,” says Campos. They make caps for children with cancer, as well as blankets and shawls for patients receiving chemo. Campos believes in giving The Blanketeers free rein to craft whatever they feel like making. Her motto is: “If they make it, I will find a home for it.”
Moran mobilized her Blanketeers group to help an organization called One Simple Wish that creates drawstring backpacks for foster kids that they fill with goodies like art supplies and journals. Her group also made comfort bears for inclusion in care kits that are provided to children in “at risk” or emergency situations, and which are given out by law enforcement. “I think it speaks to a more primal part of ourselves, where something that we make with our own hands gets infused with our love and care and that’s going to help someone—hopefully they will feel that love and care and know that they matter.”
Sometimes local organizations approach Campos with specific requests: A veteran’s organization requested stump covers for amputees, which The Blanketeers learned to make. For children’s hospitals, they’ve created superhero capes—an idea they came up with after trying to find a use for a large amount of donated fabric. Moran says that each new project provides an opportunity for beginners to learn the craft. They’ve also had requests to make falsies for breast cancer survivors who’ve had mastectomies. So their group created knit prosthetics of different shapes and sizes, and figured out a list of soft materials that worked best.
Both Salandra and Moran especially enjoy working on blankets they create as a team. Everyone contributes squares that are combined into a larger blanket. “Each blanket is a literal thumbprint of the entire group because the way each person makes their square is so individual to them,” says Moran. Moreover, each item they make counts as volunteer hours, which can be turned into a cash donation that will be sent to a local nonprofit of their choice.
If there is enough interest from TAG members who don’t work for Disney to participate, Moran would be happy to look into starting a group that meets on Saturdays. Email her at katemoran@ymail.com.
