Diana and Eric Serrano will soon have a physical reminder of the love their classmates at Immaculate Conception Elementary School feel for the brother and sister whose mother was killed in a September car accident.
The siblings will receive hand-pieced quilts, made by their Immaculate Conception friends and supporters, to serve as a warm and loving hug from their school community.
Fourth-grade students cut hearts from brightly colored fabric scraps to applique onto a delicate pink background for Diana, while Eric's friends chose shades of blue for the stars that will cover his quilt. Both quilts will include a pocket containing a special message of encouragement, written in Spanish for each child.
Parent volunteers will affix the children's squares and complete the quilts with many hours of hand stitching to be completed before the Christmas holiday.
When the Grand Traverse Area Catholic School community learned of the death of the Serrano's mother, Esperanza Santiago, they immediately surrounded the family with prayers, handmade cards and financial donations to assist with expenses. The quilts are a continuation of the support they have given to the children, now attending school in Sparta near Grand Rapids.
"These quilts are a very visible, physical sign of our faith,” said Cindy Weber, GTACS' director of admission and marketing.
"Faith isn't just something you do on Sunday, it is something you should live with every day of your life. This has been a chance for us to put our faith into action and support these children when they need us most,” Weber added.
Fifth-grade student Sam Surgalski was pleased to contribute a symbol of his faith.
"It warms my heart to understand that we are helping this family out in their time of need,” Surgalski said.