Small felines and not-so-small canines have blankets to curl up with this winter, thanks to the diligence of members of Oak Harbor Skagit Valley Community College’s honor society, Phi Theta Kappa.

Samantha Johnson, 18, a member of Phi Theta Kappa, initiated a blanket drive, with the help of fellow members, in the fall. The blanket drive started Sept. 10 and ended recently. The members placed blanket bins at the Oak Harbor Sno-Isle Library, Ken’s Corner Red Apple in Clinton, St. Augustine’s Church in Oak Harbor and the Seventh Day Adventist Church and School in Oak Harbor.

Johnson said the blanket drive went better than she had hoped, as it is her first attempt at leading anything like this, and she was pleased with the approximately 170 blankets they received.

“It was so nice,” she said. “I’m so surprised, happily surprised — people sent in crocheted blankets and hand quilted blankets.”

She said people even donated new blankets, still in their packaging.

All the blankets gathered from this blanket drive went to Langley’s Good Cheer, Oak Harbor’s Pregnancy Care Clinic and Coupeville’s WAIF animal shelter.

Fellow student and honor society member, Antoinette Grove, said blanket drives are valuable in that they take items that most people care very little about, store in a closet or throw out and turn them into something of use once again.

“Blankets are a very necessary item,” she said. “What’s better than to pass them along to other people?”

Grove also said she thought it was brilliant to take the blankets that weren’t suitable for people and give them to WAIF for their animals.

“It was a great way to recycle,” she said.

Johnson said about 20 percent of the blankets went to the Pregnancy Care Clinic. The rest of the good blankets and gloves and scarves, which someone donated to the blanket drive, went to Good Cheer and all the remaining blankets went to WAIF.

Shari Bibich, manager for the Coupeville WAIF shelter, said Johnson, and those who helped her, filled a great need the shelter had this year.

“We were low on blankets this year, and it is so appreciated,” she said. “Thank you so much. You were a doll to do this.”

She said sometimes the animals are in the shelter for a while, and if they can’t have a home, it is good to see them with a blanket.

“Even though it’s not home, it’s a step closer,” Bibich said.