The clients at Moving Forward are bringing some warmth to Napans who suffered losses in the New Year's Eve flood.

The young men and women made 20 fleece blankets and delivered them to those who were displaced when the raging Napa River spilled over its banks and thundered into the city, forcing many to evacuate their homes.

Moving Forward is private organization in Napa that provides housing and teaches living skills to men and women 18 and over who have mild development or severe learning disabilities.

"Making the blankets actually started when hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana," said Donna Feingold, Moving Forward executive director. "Our president of the board expressed an interest in making the blankets mainly for the children who were victims of the hurricane. We made several blankets, and despite the difficulty at that time to get things to the hurricane victims, we were able to ship them off to Louisiana."

When disaster struck closer to home on New Year's Eve, staff member Jennifer Romanek got the idea to make more blankets for Napa's flood victims.

"She read about the displaced families in the newspaper and those who had lost everything and wanted to make blankets for them. I said 'sure if we can find the money to do it,'" Feingold said.

It didn't take long for that to happen.

Romanek and Feingold e-mailed the parents of their clients and within no time they had $350 in pledges, Feingold said.

A trip to Hancock Fabrics in Napa also turned out to be a blessing.

"When they heard what we were doing with the fabrics we purchased, they gave us a 40 percent discount," Feingold said.

Most of the blankets were given to families in the hard-hit Rio Vista apartment complex on Coombs Street.

"We gave them directly to the victims. They were so grateful. It was very touching," Feingold said.

"They came to the complex while we were cleaning up and said they wanted to give something to the flood victims. They had these beautiful blankets they had made. They gave them to the adults and the kids," said Joanne Escamidlla, apartment manager. "The people just loved it and were so happy to get the blankets. They are just beautiful, and all of them are hand made."

Moving Forward has been in Napa for seven years. It was started by a group of Bay Area families who had children with disabilities.

"Many of these families sent their children to schools back east. They wanted a place closer to home. And that's how we started," Feingold said.

Currently the program serves 24 young adults.

"Our clients are from the Bay Area. As of now, we don't have anyone from Napa," Feingold said.

When they first enter the program, the young people live in one of the two residential group homes in Napa.

During this time they are taught skills which will eventually allow them to live in their own homes.

"We teach the basic skills such as cooking, money management, laundry, cleaning their rooms, how to use the bus system and making appointments," Feingold said. "We are not a behavioral, mental health or drug/alcohol abuse program."

The program also offers Spanish classes, yoga and arts and crafts.

Moving Forward also focuses on getting its clients into the workforce.

"We teach them how to make a resume and job interview techniques. Before they actually get a job, they volunteer at such places as the Food Bank and Connolly Ranch in Napa."

From there the young adults go on to work in food service, retail and offices, Feingold said.

"Many of them have learned how to drive and got their licenses."

Once they move into their own homes, Moving Forward continues to provide case management for them. "Some need more supervision than others," Feingold said.

There are 11 staff members.

When the Register visited Moving Forward, staff member Rhonda Daniels was up to her elbows in flour, making peanut butter cookies with clients Cathryn Pearson, Gemma Susnow, Felicia Daly, Alison Kellogg and Tatiana Rovar.

The young women crowded around the kitchen counter and carefully measured out the ingredients under Daniels' watchful eye.

One of the young women agreed that although making cookies was fun, the best part would be eating them.