Elementary school students at Templeton Hills Adventist School have been sewing special gifts for the homeless.
It's a project they hope will bring a smile to people in need during the holidays.
“The homeless usually don’t get anything for Christmas, so it’s a very big treat for them,” said Gunner Giese, a sewing class student at Templeton Hills Adventist School.
Their goal is to sew 100 beanies. They began in early November.
“This is really reinforcing their skills, reinforcing their stitches at the beginning and the end, being able to switch the stitch from a straight stitch to a zig zag,” explained Peggy David, the sewing instructor at Templeton Hills Adventist School.
The kids reached their goal one week ahead of schedule.
“Some of the emphasis that they have in this class is to serve the community," said Carmen Collins, the principal of Templeton Hills Adventist School.
It has been a group effort.
“People have donated the fleece, and I just cut whatever is left available to use,” added David.
When the fabric is all set to go, these students, ages seven to 11, take the lead.
“You fold these two corners, you put it together like this, you put the head over here and you sew all the way down to here,” explained Gunner.
Then there's more folding and stitching.
“I go through all the threads to see if there are any hangouts and then I cut those off,” said Tristen Sorensan, a sewing class student at Templeton Hills Adventist School.
The last step is wrapping up the gift.
“You grab one of these to write your age, your name, if you want, you can add your grade, you put in on top of the beanie,” added Elizabeth Bonilla, another student who has been taking this sewing class for years.
Students said this does not feel like a school assignment.
“It’s an amazing feeling just to know that someone can wear our beanies and be warm and feel more safe,” said Sorensan.
Students, parents and teachers will be distributing these hats to residents at the 40 Prado Homeless Shelter in San Luis Obispo on Dec. 14, 2021.
