Students share warmth, kindness through Blankets of Hope

For the past four years, as the holiday season has approached, Farmin Stidwell Elementary students have opened their colored pencil boxes and spread heartwarming messages that profoundly impact less fortunate families and individuals, who receive their handwritten letters, neatly secured to a new blanket.

Receiving a note of kindness from a “little person” is powerful when facing financial hardship: “I hope this blanket brings you hope,” “You are loved,” “We believe in you,” “You will end up happy.” 

“I think the written messages that they send are worth every minute that I take to read them, and it lifts me up and helps me be a better person,” said Donna Davis, who works with Sandpoint United Methodist Church  distributing Farmin Stidwell’s blankets through its Caring Corner and Thursday Community Meals.

Blankets of Hope is a New York-based non-profit organization that partners with schools across the country to provide blankets and handwritten letters to people experiencing homelessness. The program teaches students about kindness and empathy. 

“Not everyone is homeless that comes in. Some people are just in need, and the blanket makes a difference to them,” Davis said.

So how did this partnership reach Farmin Stidwell? It is one of several service-oriented activities longtime fourth grade teacher Renee Lorden brought into the classroom. They also, for example, wrote letters to veterans thanking them for their service; made valentine's cards for the senior center and life care; created a gingerbread house for the Festival of Trees, where the winner donates the auction proceeds to the charity of their choice; and they just received a $1,000 grant from Underground Kindness to shop for Toys for Tots. 

“It's really about having our students be contributors to kindness and helping in our community,” Lorden said, adding that the whole school is participating. This is how the Blankets for Hope process unfolded in Lorden’s classroom:

A kindness workshop learning about empathy.

Practice writing and penmanship skills writing notes of hope and kindness.

Older students mentoring younger “buddies” during the learning activities.

Attaching the notes to the blankets.

Once the notes are affixed, the blankets are given to United Methodist and the Bonner County Food Bank. United Methodist distributes to other local churches that provide meals, to the Sandpoint Senior Center and to the homeless on the streets in Spokane.

At the outset, “Donna Davis came back and said, ‘We really appreciate this. You cannot believe the impact that this makes on our residents and our community. You guys are really doing something big,’” Lorden recalled.

The 180 blankets Farmin Stidwell students prepared this month were funded by Blankets for Hope. The non-profit maintains a website with details outlining how to get involved.

Information on Blankets of Hope can be found at blanketsofhope.com.

    Students collaborate during their Blankets for Hope writing activity, carefully crafting a message of hope for someone who is less fortunate.
  

    Two students proudly display a letter they wrote, offering kindness and encouragement as part of a classroom project focused on uplifting the spirit of those who are struggling this holiday season.

Darren Svan is the Lake Pend Oreille School District community relations liaison.