An initiative which started four years ago has now grown immensely, providing thousands of items for community children to last them year round.
Cover Laredo began after a group of Texas A&M International University Student Government Association (SGA) members were discussing novellas and realized their time could be better spent. Rudy Morales led the project suggesting that SGA start a program with the primary objective to donate items to children in Nuevo Laredo. SGA students soon recognized that a need existed on this side of the border as well. The idea has greatly developed since.
Cover Laredo has evolved to include participation from surrounding high schools. This season over 1,000 items, collected from St. Augustine, Nixon High School, Alexander High School, and the Honors Program at TAMIU were donated to Casa de Misericordia. “Basically what they do is invite the moms from the shelter, come in, get what they’d like for their children and wrap them as presents for Christmas so that they can feel like they’re giving something to their kids,” explains Jimenez.
According to Alfredo Jimenez, Cover Laredo Coordinator, the first year TAMIU successfully collected over 1,000 items which were donated to Sacred Heart. Since then contributions have been directed to Casa de Misericordia in conjunction with Sacred Heart. “Over the four years we easily collected over 6-7,000 items and all towards Laredo community,” says Jimenez.
Casa de Misericordia currently works with more than 80 families and Jimenez estimates that with all they’ve collected, they will be able to provide at least one blanket to every family member.
Items donated include blankets, jackets, and toys, and will be distributed this Tuesday and Thursday.
For more information on Cover Laredo or other Student Government projects please contact, Alfredo Jimenez at (956) 326-2265.