Working by feel, 101-year-old hands grasp a green crochet needle and guide rainbow-colored yarn through a cluster, then out of it to catch the yarn and pull it through again. Jerry Dillon misses. She tries again, and misses once more, sometimes taking three times to successfully complete a stitch.
Having lost most of her sight to macular degeneration in 1998, Dillon can barely see her project. She has been knitting and crocheting for charity since the 1940s. She applies the one last crochet stitch she can do. Her afghans go to Project Linus, which gives handmade blankets to children in need.
Although she never meets those who get her afghans, she knows they are appreciated.
"I hope it'll keep them warm and they give something to someone else," she said. "That's how payback works."To nominate your community hero for the I Care column, email acruz@sacbee.com
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