2003-04 DIFFERENCE MAKER OF THE YEAR: SEWING THE QUILT OF SELFLESSNESS STRUMPF PERSONIFIED BY GIVING.

Byline: Nathan Kurz Special to the Daily News

In the hallway adjacent to Robyn Strumpf's room, a framed, embroidered square hangs on the wall, proclaiming four simple rules for quilting. One guideline stands out in particular: ``Sew all day and all night ... Always start a new quilt before the last one is finished.''

This mantra also applies to how Strumpf has approached life, lest she not put her heart, soul and mind into every project she undertakes.

And it is certainly reflected in Strumpf's organization, Project Books and Blankies - a group dedicated to the promotion of literacy worldwide.

For five years, Strumpf has devoted untold hours designing and sewing quilts that she donates, along with thousands of books, to needy causes, literacy programs and classrooms.

Strumpf, a starter on the Viewpoint softball and baseball teams, has donated more than 15,000 books, raised more than $100,000 in grants and supplies and sewn more than 100 quilts by hand.

``This just seems normal for me,'' she said. ``I just feel like I'm doing something I love. It's never felt like hard work.''

For her inspiring, altruistic work, Strumpf has been selected as the Daily News ``Difference Maker'' for the 2003-2004 school year.

The idea for the project was borne out of her own experiences.

Strumpf struggled to learn to read. She'd sit with her mother, Susan, a teacher, and go over the same page numerous times without success.

Reading became such an arduous process that when Strumpf would see a book, she'd run and hide. But by the third grade, Strumpf had caught up to her classmates, in part thanks to a cozy quilt that made reading feel a little more comfortable.

Now she escapes to her room with a book and won't come out until she's finished it.

``I want people to know reading isn't an impossible thing to learn,'' she said. ``Even if it's difficult in the beginning, it can easily be done.''

As a marker of how far Strumpf has come, she's even had some of her writing published, including an article on scientific research in Teen Ink Magazine and an academic piece in the Journal of Student Research.

Strumpf also was reared by her parents with a particular emphasis on community service.

Given her upbringing, it should have been less than surprising that five years ago Strumpf decided she wanted to share the joys of reading with those who had yet to discover them.

``I wanted to do something that was important to me,'' she said. ``I had spent time with my brothers doing their projects, but I wanted to make one my own.''

She collected books from book drives and spent hours writing letters to bookstores, publishers, quilt shops and fabric manufacturers, trying to convince them to donate to a worthy cause.

Ultimately, her hard work paid off. After getting her feet on the ground and assembling a bevy of books and quilts, Strumpf began donating to local schools, nonprofits (Project Head Start and Friends of the Family among many) and other organizations.

Strumpf also began partnering with Borders in Valencia in 2000 for their annual Giving Tree Program, an event that provides books for hundreds of needy children for Christmas.

More recently, Strumpf has begun providing international donations, the biggest of which was sending more than 1,000 books to South Africa. She's also sent books and blankets to Afghanistan, Iraq and some former Soviet Republics.

``I had no idea it would develop into something like this,'' Strumpf said.

In April, Strumpf put on her biggest event yet - ``Reading Circus,'' - which featured a series of literacy activities in Van Nuys. With the help of a $1,000 grant from Youth Service America, Strumpf headed an event for more than 100 students in the Calling All Kids program.

That she has been able to provide books for children who don't have access to reading materials has been the most recurrent and rewarding aspect of her selfless work.

``You have a kid who is convinced he doesn't like reading,'' she said. ``But by the end (of the donation event), they love it. That little bit of impact on someone's life is what keeps me going.''

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Photo:

(color) Robyn Strumpf, 17, is the Daily News' 2003-04 Difference Maker of the Year. The Viewpoint High student-athlete has been an advocate for literacy through quilting blankets and donating books.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer