Students watched Linus, a cartoon character from the show "Peanuts," drag his blanket across the screen in the Brown-Lupton University Union Auditorium on Thursday as they pieced together their own blankets for different hands to hold.

Students were cutting and tying fleece for Project Linus, a program that provides handmade blankets for people in hospitals, shelters and agencies, according to the Project Linus website. 

Project Linus' mission is to "provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans lovingly created by volunteer blanketeers.”

Project Linus at the university is sponsored by the National Residence Hall Honorary, a national organization that promotes service and community building for selected students on college campuses.

Ryan Murray, the social and service chair of the NRHH, said Project Linus is not only about charity work but also about bringing people on campus together. 

“It allows people to connect with the community and to find new ways to give back to others as well as to have fun," Murray, a senior entrepreneurial management and fashion merchandising double major, said.

Tori Whitley, a first-year journalism major, said that working to aid those in need makes her realize how lucky she is to lead the life she does.

“It just kind of opens our eyes to how lucky we are here and how much we have here," she said. "One blanket could mean so much for somebody."

Jimmy McGrath, a sophomore strategic communication major, said after participating in Project Linus, he started to see value in things others might take for granted on a daily basis.

“After I made my first blanket, I was surprised something so simple could come out so cool," he said. "You can really see the beauty through the simplicity of this project. Something so simple can impact a life." 

For more information on the university's NRHH and its upcoming events, visit the organization's Facebook page.