NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- With an initial goal of "2009 Quilts in 2009," Chicagoland Relief Society sisters celebrated the completion of 3,009 quilts on Sept. 26 at the Naperville Illinois Stake Center.

During a dinner held before the General Relief Society broadcast, the quilting efforts of 700 sisters were displayed before being distributed to three charitable organizations.

The Project Linus Mission, Newborns in Need Inc., as well as the global Church Humanitarian Services, will receive the colorful quilts and blankets made by stake sisters, as well as community members.

During the celebration, Dianne Rodriguez, president of the Relief Society of the Naperville Stake, presented more than 1,000 quilts to Project Linus Chapter Coordinator Jacque Bartell. Bartell said the quilts and blankets will help her chapter meet their first important mission, "to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need." The many handmade blankets with patriotic themes will be given to "children of soldiers that have been killed in action. A blanket seems like a poor substitute for the loss of a parent, but it gives the children something they can hold on to in their time of need."

In order to complete the project, Rodriguez said the quilting materials were furnished to the church sewing groups. "Because this is a service project, most of the materials were donated by church members. We also received support from a local Kiwanis Club, as well as a nearby credit union. The manager of the credit union had a hospitalized child who had received a blanket from the Project Linus Mission. The project was announced in March of this year, and women of the church, along with family and friends in the community, spent countless hours quilting. Within six months, our goal was surpassed by 1,000 quilts."

As quilting groups were organized in all nine wards in the stake, many women approached their neighbors or extended family members about joining in the service project.

Margaret Dietz, living in the Ashbury Gardens Assisted Living Center in North Aurora, Ill., asked that a notice be placed on the bulletin board seeking help with quilting. Eight residents responded, and the group completed 38 crocheted and sewn quilts.

Sue Hendricks, of Aurora, Ill., mentioned the project to her hairstylist, who donated one of her daughter's never-used, handmade, baby blankets.

Sisters even created quilts at family reunions, and Young Women of the Naperville Stake made quilts at girls camp, along with Primary Activity Day girls who learned to sew and quilt during ward meetings.