Local 5th-Graders Helped Make Blankets for a CR Shelter

You gotta love kids that are eager to help out those less fortunate!

Some fifth-grade students at Cleveland Elementary School in Cedar Rapids recently did a good deed by helping to make homemade blankets that were then donated to a local shelter.

According to The Gazette, teachers Sherrie Kopecky and Jamie Mnayer received $500 from Project Jack. Project Jack, presented by the Realtor Foundation of Iowa, "gives 4th and 5th graders the opportunity to pay it forward in any way the class chooses," the official website states. The project was started in memory of Jack Lindaman of the Quad Cities Area, who was only 6-years-old when he passed away from spinal muscular atrophy. The website adds, "with Project Jack, his memory and loving spirit will continue on through the good deeds of children."

The students at Cleveland helped make 26 fleece blankets that were donated to Waypoint’s Madge Phillips Center in Downtown Cedar Rapids late last week. The Gazette reports that staff from the center came in to tell the students about their organization and answer questions before accepting the donation. They noted that bedding and blankets are one of the biggest needs of the clients who come through the shelter.

The kids were happy to help, with Sherrie Kopecky telling The Gazette, “It’s good for the kids to see that no matter the background we come from, we can all give back in some way."

We absolutely love hearing about kids doing good deeds! Kudos to these students and teachers. If you are a fourth or fifth-grade teacher here in Iowa, you can get more information on Project Jack HERE.

[The Gazette/Project Jack]