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New winter hats, gloves spread smiles at Woodland Elementary
New winter hats, gloves spread smiles at Woodland ElementaryModeling their new winter hats are, from left, Tessa, Tra’mar, Rahjanae, Maya and William. Pastor Jerry Laudermilk is flanked by his daughters, Lauren, left, and Lindsey, an intervention specialist at Woodland Elementary.

      Woodland Elementary School students are sporting new winter hats and gloves, thanks to the outreach of Abundant Life Tabernacle in Ontario and the supporting generosity of friends and strangers.

      Pastor Jerry Laudermilk said the church’s No Kid Cold project began after a conversation in the Laudermilk home one evening.

      “Our daughter Lindsey is a first-year teacher at Woodland,” he said. “She was talking about the kids she saw without hats or gloves on the playground during recess. We decided that we could do something to help.”

      Laudermilk talked with Woodland Principal Kim Johnson, who gladly agreed to the project, then shared the idea with his congregation.

      “Our congregation donated many hats and gloves. After we described No Kid Cold on our Facebook page people from other states sent money to help,” he said.

      While some Woodland students did have hats and gloves, Laudermilk said the decision was made to give every child in kindergarten through third grade a holiday sack containing a new hat and gloves. The sacks were delivered to each classroom on Nov. 27.

      Johnson said the gift of warm, colorful hats and gloves put smiles on students’ faces throughout the building.

      “It was a wonderful thing for Abundant Life Tabernacle to do. These warm hats and gloves will make a difference for many children throughout the winter,” she said.

      When all was said and done at Woodland, Laudermilk said there were 110 extra hats which he sent to Prospect Elementary School.

      But that wasn’t the end of the story. On Tuesday, eight days after the delivery to Woodland, Laudermilk received 120 pairs of gloves in the mail from a donor in Indiana.

      “We’ll find a good use for them,” he said. “No Kid Cold was successful because of the caring generosity of our congregation and the support of others.”