Montreal students knit blankets for Ricochet homeless shelter
St. John Fisher Senior Elementary School students in Montreal’s West Island have been knitting homemade blankets during their lunch and after-school program for the past few weeks and now they’re donating the blankets to the Ricochet homeless shelter to show their sense of gratitude during the coldest months of the year.
“We make it for the homeless shelter because some of them are homeless and they don’t have blankets – and it’s winter – and it’s freezing cold. So we wanted to make blankets for them so that they have a little warmth,” said Maria Donovan, a student at St. John Fisher Senior Elementary School.
Daycare Technician Laura Sulano said she wanted to bring more awareness and education for students in the homeless community with their initial goal of hand-making 50 blankets. They’ve exceeded this by making 78 in total.
Advertisement
“This was a perfect way to teach them so many core values that they’re already learning from home. It taught them generosity by making something for someone,” said Sulano. “It taught them compassion for understanding other people that are not as fortunate as them. It taught them perseverance to follow the project through and you know most of all pride.”
Sulano says some students made up to five blankets each. Many students adding that they want to make even more in the future.
“They find they have something that someone made for them – and they have something to keep them warm,” said Donovan.
Wheeler Latreille, another student adds, “It feels…. inside it feels powerful. It feels like it feels good…Everybody deserves to be warm, because some people who live [outside] in the winter…that is not very warm.”
Sulano says this initiative will likely spark an annual donation drive, with Caterina Modica Amore of Ricochet saying it takes a village to help those get out of homelessness.
Advertisement
“It’s just very humbling to see children of that age be willing to come and hand knit which is crazy to me because I can’t even do that. To give something to those in need,” said Amore.
“To be able to have access to be able to have things like this. It’s kind of like a little hug when you receive a blanket like that. It’s just a reminder that people are there, people care.”
While visiting the shelter, students got a tour of the area, with some beneficiaries expressing their gratitude.
“I’m sure that every people over there the residents they’re going to like that blanket because it’s the kids they do it. And it’s not every day we got some presents like this. So when we get some we’re so happy because you know sometimes we’re missing some blanket and everything and we got some now,” said Patrick Gervais, a Ricochet beneficiary.
