J ESS I CA
It was probably one of the first gifts you ever got from someone as a average size of a family living in one of these rooms. Knowing that, it’s newborn. And you may have gotten a few more along the way when clear that Jessica‘s contributions are needed. “A blanket can make a big you packed your bags for college or when you got married or eventually difference to someone who doesn’t have many possessions,” Knopp had a babe of your own. What common item am I talking about? A says. blanket. Providing the homeless in Orange County with that simple, The faces of those who The Linus Project helps are at the heart of this basic need is what inspired young Jessica Knopp, founder of The Linus project. When founder Jessica first started out, she admits how afraid Project, to make a difference. “I believe a blanket is a basic need. It she was to walk up and ask folks if they wanted a blanket. Her nervous keeps you warm and for some, protects you from whatever surface approach quickly went away, though, once she started conversations you may be forced to sleep on. I knew I had a few blankets around with these people, hearing their stories, and just giving them someone the house that I didn’t use and hoped that other people would too.” to talk to. A man Knopp initially approached outside of her dry cleaners Before long, Jessica started doing blanket drives, asking her dearest received the blanket from her with a smile and a sweet story about friends and family to donate what they had around the house, even how his daughter whom he had lost touch with. The challenging them to go out and spend a whopping gesture of kindness reminded him of his hope that his $10 on a brand new blanket. The do-gooder trend daughter, about Knopp’s age, was also doing good caught on once folks saw just how easy it was to get for someone in the world, somewhere. “I knew then a blanket and change a life, and the project has since that I wanted to help more people.” Jessica adds. The expanded to a local business collecting blankets and If you are interested in donating stories are not always happy, though. Tragedy struck even toothbrushes on Jessica’s behalf. a blanket or toothbrush to when Knopp had a much different encounter. On her The Linus Project this holiday Knopp is no official charity CEO (as The Linus Project hurried way to work one day, she noticed a homeless is not yet a 501(c)(3), but she is a girl with a simple season, contact Jessica Knopp at man near the street, and in her late rush she carried thelinusproject@gmail.com thought to do something good for the universe. on and thought to make a point to return later and Jessica has been doing fundraising and development give him a blanket. After her busy day of tasks and for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim for over four years, which serves meetings at work, she returned hopeful to the same spot only to find disadvantaged children, and she’ll tell you—there are many of them. that man had passed away, unnoticed for most of the day. Jessica’s Jessica has watched these children move in and out of motels with their heart sank with a grim reminder to take every opportunity she sees to moms and dads, go back to the streets, and then return back to their help those in need. local motel homestead more times than she’d prefer to recount. Ms. Since the charity’s recent inception, over 150 blankets have been Knopp tells me, “Working with this population really opened my eyes given out to over 150 homeless, cold and needy individuals in highly to the number of homeless people in Orange County. I wanted to be populated homeless areas of Orange County. The impact is big, and it’s able to help them but didn’t know what I could do that would directly only getting bigger as the seasons go by. “I believe that most people impact them.” Families that are making motels their temporary homes want to help those in need but don’t necessarily know how,” Jessica are common in the homeless realm of Orange County—especially when said. “If you give people an easy way to help, they’re inclined to do so kids are in the picture. Each family is only provided one blanket per bed and usually feel really good doing it!” while in a motel—a staggering number if you know that seven is the
| Holiday 2012 Issue | 147