The club’s leader, Deb Shelton, had several bags in hand as well.

The collection of 15 blankets will be distributed by DHS to children entering foster care.

It’s the club’s community service project. Jasper served as leader for the group effort to create the blankets.

“We had two days where we got together to make them,” he said. “Some took them home to work on them, too. I worked when we would get together.”

The process is relatively simple. The piece of fabric is cut square. Fringes are cut along all four sides and then tied into a knot.

“Each took about 20 to 30 minutes,” he said.

The club made them in three different sizes.

“There’s toddler, elementary and middle school or high school,” he said.

No two are alike. One blanket featured wolves, another had lady bugs, one had white stars on a red background.

“We got a little bit of everything,” he said of the fleece selection. “We think the older kids didn’t really want Mickey Mouse blankets.”

The money to pay for the $675 project came from a $175 Dupont Pioneer Service Grant, and a $250 Webster County Youth Grant and the club’s own treasury.

“As a club we voted to match the $250 out of our club funds,” he said.

Shelton is proud of the club members.

“I’m really proud of all the 4-H kids,” she said. “My heart swells in how much I see them grow. It betters our knowledge of community.”

Shelton said she’s been encouraging her club members to write grant applications for service projects for about 10 years. She’s served as leader of the almost 20 member club for 15 years.

“Who wants to write a grant?” she asks them. “What do you have for a community service idea?”

Previous service projects and grants have been used by other 4-H members to do projects with the Fort Dodge Community School District, Pride In Community Appearance, Almost Home, the Beacon of Hope and the Iowa Air National Guard.

“It’s all based on what the person writing the grants is interested in,” she said.

Jasper is hoping the children who receive the blankets get plenty of use out of them.

“I asked myself what’s something that they could keep even once they’re out of the foster care system,” he said.

The club members plan on getting together again in the future to make more blankets. They still have plenty of fabric.

“At least 15 more,” Jasper said.