With the requirement of 40 service hours minimum to graduate, some Mercy students like to think outside the box in order to reach the required time and make a difference, while still having fun.

Seniors Sydney Swindle and Sydney Hughes started their own service project to tie fleece blankets to give to homeless shelters. The blankets are made by cutting strips around the edges of two sheets of fleece (two yards by two yards) and tying the strips together.

“We’re aiming for about 100 or more [blankets],” said senior Sydney Swindle. “We have about 40 so far and that was after two days.”

The blankets will go to a homeless shelter in Detroit called the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS). The organization provides shelter and services to hundreds of families each day. COTS also offers assistance in health services, career building, and education in order to help families get back on their feet and find a permanent home.

“In February, we’re going to take them all down to the COTS organization and then they’re going to deliver them to the people at the homeless shelters,” said Swindle.

Swindle and Hughes are inviting other Mercy girls to participate in the project. Anybody can go to one of the three-hour sessions to tie as many blankets as possible.

“We’re trying to get more girls to sign up,” said Swindle. “We have three more sessions, but we might add more depending on how many people are interested. Anybody can join if they need service hours.”

This project is a fun and fairly easy way to give back to the community and make a difference in homeless families’ lives,” said Swindle.