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HAYWARD, CA - Students at Lazear Charter Academy in Oakland will be napping in comfort with blankets made by volunteers and donated in a project led by Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Eileen McDonald.
On August 12, the first day of school, 4 and 5-year-old students lined up to receive soft, colorful blankets made by volunteers from donated fabric. Staff and volunteers, including Alameda County Superintendent of Schools L. Karen Monroe, helped each student choose from a variety of colors and patterns.
This is McDonald's fourth year of supporting blanket donations, which grew from a 2016 service project by Brooklyn Sisk, who was then a fifth-grade student at Oliveira Elementary in Fremont Unified School District.
After that first year, McDonald decided to expand the program. She enlisted the League of Volunteers (LOV) to help with sewing, and fellow Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Ken Berrick donated funding for the flannel. In the first two years, over 120 blankets were distributed.
Over the years, many in the community have stepped forward to donate funding, supplies and sewing skills.
This year the program was able to give Alameda County students over 250 flannel nap blankets.
"It takes a village," McDonald said.
Monetary and flannel donations can be mailed to LOV at 8440 Central Ave., Newark, CA 94560. Note “B’s Blankets” in the check memo or on the donation. Questions about the program can be emailed to Eileen McDonald at emcdonald@acoe.org.
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