What started as a cool idea for comfort at outdoor concerts has transformed into another humanitarian effort spearheaded by Ramona Trevino and her special needs life skills students at Gilroy High School.
Trevino’s “100 Blankets for the Homeless” project, in which she and her students take donated jeans or pants of any kind and turn them into giant blankets, started three weeks ago and has an April 1 deadline.
“I think we can do it,” said 17-year-old senior Margarita Estrada, a peer helper who attends Trevino’s first-period class. “It just sounded like a good idea to help the homeless.”
With hundreds of old jeans already donated – it takes about eight pairs per blanket – Trevino and her students have been hard at work cutting the jeans into squares and sewing the patches together.
The class reached 30 jean blankets last week and put their finished products on display Friday in the GHS courtyard, where other students personally signed the blankets and wrote messages to the homeless.
With kind words such as “Prayers for Warmth,” “Hope for Warmth. God Loves You. Prayers will be prayed for you,” and “Keep your head up high. God is watching you. I have Faith in you,” the multi-colored quilts will not only supply warmth and chilly nights, but also emotional support for their recipients.
“It’s kind of fun to have the pockets on there, too,” Trevino added.
Trevino borrowed the idea from a friend who brought a homemade pants blanket to the Santa Cruz Blues Festival.
After reading an article in the Dispatch about the struggle of homeless people in Gilroy, Trevino figured: Why not make more of those blankets for the needy?
She spoke with a parent of one of her students – Raul Padilla – who works at the local homeless shelter, which operates out of the California National Guard Armory at 8490 Wren Ave. in Gilroy.
“I thought it was a pretty neat idea,” said Padilla.
Trevino’s “100 Blankets for the Homeless” project launched shortly thereafter.
“Not only are they doing that,” Padilla noted, “but every Friday they provide us with a pot of soup for dinner and it’s usually a different kind every week. They make cookies and brownies and donate clothes, too.”
At the cold weather shelter, which is open seasonally during the cold months, individuals first check in and get processed before picking up a blanket, sheets and a mat for the night. Dinner is served daily at 6:30 p.m. One of the regular volunteers who helps serve is Padilla’s son – Luke – who is also in Trevino’s special needs life skills class.
“He’s been a volunteer going on eight, 10 years,” said Padilla of his son. “He loves to help. He cares. He’s got a lot of friends.”
With the shelter closing April 1, Trevino and her students need more donated jeans to meet their deadline. Donations can be dropped off at the GHS front office, located at 750 W. 10th St. Community volunteers are also needed to help with cutting and sewing, which is done every day after school. Contact Ramona Trevino at (831) 713-0805 for more information.
