Students donate time to make blankets, keep someone warm

Most of the sixth-grade class of St. Francis of Assisi School in Triangle stayed after class on a Friday afternoon.

They didn't have to. They weren't in trouble and some of them were missing the opportunity to see a matinee of the new Twilight sage movie "New Moon."

Even the boys showed up.

And the big draw?

Volunteering to make 12 fleece blankets for Action in Community Through Service's women's and homeless shelters.

Santiago Barrero said he came because of a homeless man.

"Every day when I'm going home from school I see [him]," Santiago said.

Joe Sfreddo admitted to a secondary motivation.

"I wanted to do this, but I really like cookies," Joe said.

The service project was the brainchild of Dr. Renee Burdett and her daughter, Katherine. Burdett promised the 11- and 12-year-old children who helped out that there would be cookies as a reward.

Burdett and her daughter were pleasantly surprised by the turnout. Out of a class of 35, they expected about nine girls to show up. Instead, there were about 20 children.

"We got a lot more than we expected," Katherine Burdett said. "We are having fun."

"It's not only fun to spend time after school with my friends, but we are doing something for the community," said Sophia Faram.

The large blankets are big enough for three people. The children laid two pieces of fleece on top of each other. They then cut strips along the edges and double-knotted them together.

"They will probably need them for this cold winter," Katherine Burdett said of the families who will receive the blankets.

Beth Lewis, ACTS volunteer coordinator, said that the blankets will be greatly appreciated, especially in the women's shelter for those seeking a way out of domestic violence. Often times these women and their children arrive with only the clothes they are wearing -- nothing else, she said.

Katherine Burdett learned how to make the blankets about a year ago. Last Christmas she made blankets for family and friends.

She and her mom decided that they could do more and help out those less fortunate.

Burdett found fleece material for the blankets on sale at a department store. As a holiday fundraiser, the employees at Burdett's practice and the Child and Family Counseling Center in Woodbridge donated the material.

"I think this is a good thing for people to see. I think it's a good thing for the kids doing it," Burdett said.

"I wish more organizations could get as energized as these kids," Lewis said.

Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.