What started out as a service project at Travis Elementary School for the Ector County District Attorney’s Victim Assistance program has turned into a meaningful — and warm — partnership.
With the recent unification of the County and District attorney’s office, the victim assistance program has merged as well and now has four people. They also have a special room on the third floor of the Ector County Courthouse where victims and/or families of victims stay during trials.
Director of Administrative Services Linda Granados said it can get cold in the room and the courtrooms. About 50 students in the after-school tutoring program at Travis recently offered some warmth, in the form of blankets. Students have made many of them, but teachers and staff have also purchased some.
“A lot of times we have kids; a lot of times we have elderly people … the blankets is just a way of keeping them safe and warm during the process while they’re here,” Granados said.
She added that her office partnered with the school more than a year ago as a way to give back to the community.
“We were doing just service projects for them. We would send thank-you cards to the teachers. We would take pizza; just different appreciation things that we did for them and they in turn have served us,” Granados said.
Victim Assistance Coordinator Ivette Ramirez recalled a day when there were two small children and a 2-year-old girl used the blanket to take a nap, so Ramirez found a another small blanket and made a pillow for her.
Her brother, who was 3, used a blanket to cover his lap and was coloring.
Before Travis students provided the blankets, victims assistance didn’t have any. Now they have about 60, Granados said.
“Now we can give them away …,” she said.
The blankets are kept in plastic bags. They got the first batch before Christmas break and another a couple of weeks ago.
Granados said this is the first time they have donated the blankets.
“Anybody who is a victim of a crime in Ector County for a felony, or a misdemeanor, is considered a victim; either they stole something from them, were victims of domestic violence, saw (a) murder; all the family victims of the deceased. They’re all considered victims,” Granados said.
“When we have trials, which we’ve had trials here in Ector County, all year long. We had about 34 trials last year. We haven’t stopped and our victims come in; they come in to meet with the attorneys. And our victim services are their advocate. They’re with them throughout the whole thing. They hold their hand in the trial. We provide them a safe place to be in. Trials can be lengthy, so they’re here past five. They they bring food in here. They eat here. During the lunch hour, they’re having to stay here, especially when we have a trial, because they have to be here if they’re going to testify. Or they’re just part of moral support for the family in the trial,” she added.
Granados took Travis Principal Amy Russell on a tour of the victim assistance area one day, explained the services that are provided and told Russell about the four team members.
“I brought her up here and I showed her this area and I said this is it was a new area that (District Attorney) Dusty (Gallivan) developed. …,” on the third floor of the courthouse, Granados said.
There also is a conference room where people can stay while waiting to go into court. There also is a conference room on the second floor.
The outside door to the room with the blankets is tinted so no one can see in.
One of the things Russell noticed was that it was cold. Granados told her the courtrooms were typically cold, as well.
The school also provided a water dispenser.
Russell said her first thought was that she had a teacher who could show everyone how to make blankets. “But I also have a large group of students in after- school tutoring who need a really engaging project that would benefit our community, as well as allow Travis to give back to those who had given us school supplies, supplies clothes for kids, snacks for teachers, notes of encouragement for students. So this is how Operation Blankets of Love was able to ‘give back to the community,’ while at the same time allowing students to have hands-on, real-world counting, measuring, cutting, discussing, problem-solving and reaching a goal,” she said. “It really is a win-win for our students and is aligned to our Career and Community magnet theme.”
“The kids were so proud of their work. Linda and her victim’s assistance team came and collected the blankets and the students just beamed with pride,” she added.
About 50 fourth and fifth grade students took part in after-school tutoring Monday at Travis, Assistant Principal Jennifer Hagler said.
The students can tie math into the blankets, which Hagler said helped with the tutoring.
Dana Rodriguez, 10, said it makes her happy to help other people.
Ana’i Lozano and Alexander DePaz, both 10, said they mean happiness and comfort, respectively.
Mindy Gutierrez, 10, said said it can feel like “minus 60 degrees in court.”
Hagler said she thinks they will keep Operation Blankets of Love going.
“We work really well with the district attorneys office they’ve been partnering with our schools as far as leadership and other things so we get lucky enough that we get to help other people that have been impacted here,” Hagler said.
With four district courts, there can be at least two in trial at the same time, or sometimes three, Granados said.
“These girls do an awesome job, because they’re the ones that are talking to them on the phone, initially. Then they come in and meet with the prosecutors. They’re the ones that are in there with them and then once we start trial, they’re the ones that just sit next to them in the courtroom. They come and get them … They can’t be on their phones. They’ve got to leave their valuables here … So they do a great job working with them,” Granados said.
Granados was back at Travis recently talking to students about The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (by Stephen Covey), but adapted for youngsters.
The students are learning the program, the Leader in Me.
Granados said they had done a book study on Seven Habits with Gallivan.
Travis was adopted by the DA’s office as Gallivan’s late mother taught there years ago.
The office has provided pizza, snacks, Cokes, water, Santa sleighs for Christmas and many other items. They have had a sock drive and given them hygiene bags and school supplies.
Granados also has made glitter jars and helped them with interviews for the school’s Ambassadors.
“When a student comes in who is upset … you tell them to take deep breaths as the glitter falls and it will eventually be clear. It’s just water and glue and glitter. But you get to see the different colors combined fall down and it actually is meant to calm them down, so they’re called calming jars, or glitter jars,” she said.
