Lebanon’s police officers won’t have to worry about catching a chill this winter – Sandi Taylor has them covered.
Taylor crocheted 30 blankets, one for each officer in the Lebanon Police Department.
She contacted Dala Johnson, LPD community policing officer, in November of 2016 to let her know about her project.
“You hear so much negative, I just want them to know someone really appreciates them,” Taylor said. “Lebanon police officers do a lot for the community.”
She got the idea from a friend who asked her to make an American Flag blanket for the Wounded Warrior Project.
The blankets Taylor made for the LPD officers are a black and white version of the American flag with a blue line to represent law enforcement. Each one took about a week to complete.
When she handed them out to officers last month, she got thanks and hugs in return.
A few recipients commented how soft the blankets were but Taylor said she didn’t use special yarn, just Red Heart from Walmart.
She’s been crocheting for as long as she can remember; her grandmother taught her when she was very young.
Taylor is from Lebanon though she has moved away a couple of times.
“It’s home, so you always come back,” she said.
Taylor has worked for Economy Supply for more than 11 years.
“I’m so tired when I get home, I sit and crochet,” Taylor said. “I don’t sit real well.”
Since she finished the flag blankets, she’s been working on a Cinderella-themed project for her 8-year-old granddaughter.
Taylor doesn’t think she’ll take on another project as intense as the one she did for LPD, but she glad she did it.
“It was a lot of months doing the same thing, but it was worth it,” Taylor said.