The Christmas decorations may be packed away, but the spirit of giving remains strong at Sioux Falls Loving School. Recently, students turned a classroom project into a meaningful gift of warmth and hope for children in need.
The project began in Abbi Zuehlke’s blended third and fourth-grade classroom. What started as an idea for students to make tie blankets for themselves quickly became a plan to help the community.
“Abbi initially brought the idea to me, and together we decided that Project Warm-Up would be a perfect partner for the blankets because it allowed for meaningful community service and gave our students a chance to give back,” said Ericka Bohle, Loving School Principal.
After Principal Bohle approved, Abbi returned to her class to see if the students wanted to participate.
“When I explained the activity, many students eagerly shared their ideas before I could even prompt them,” said Abbi. “They talked about helping kids who are sick feel more comfortable in the hospital, keeping children without homes warm and simply giving another child something that can be theirs.”
Thanks to donor support, fleece soon arrived at the Sioux Falls campus. Students were bouncing with energy and excited as they started making the tie blankets, many for the first time!
When other classes heard about the project, they asked to join. By that afternoon, students had completed 12 blankets.
“That’s 12 lives impacted by one afternoon of work, 12 kids whose lives may feel out of their control, 12 kids who will have a blanket of their own, and 12 kids who may share similar stories and backgrounds as our students and could benefit from a little extra warmth and hope this season,” said Abbi.
In late December, Abbi and a few students delivered the blankets to Sonia Sotomayor Elementary School. This simple act served as a reminder that a small gesture of kindness can bring warmth, hope and joy throughout the community.
