Student Council, Covers of Comfort honored with service award
Dubuque Senior Yearbook Archives
Cindy Widmar (far left) and members of the 2017 StuCo and IJag classes hold some of the blankets made for Covers of Comfort
UPDATE
If students would like to be involved, they may also check out blanket materials from StuCo to make blankets at home on their own. See Mr. Miller or Mr. Leytem with any questions.
——
Our Dubuque Senior Student Council recently received the Kelly Neiber Service Award for Covers of Comfort! StuCo was awarded this honor at the Iowa Student Leadership Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. The team submitted Covers of Comfort not just to praise the program, but also to spread awareness about what Covers of Comfort.
Covers of Comfort was started by Katie Widmar and her mother Cindy. Cindy is the Business Office Manager at DSHS. Katie battled cancer when she was a senior in high school and would find warmth and strength throughout chemotherapy with her fleece tie blanket.
As survivors and caregivers, we offer hope, encouragement, understanding and ‘warmth’ to adults on the cancer journey. We recognize that we are able to give the gift of a personalized fleece tie blanket through the compassion of others
— Covers of Comfort Mission Statement
Katie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Nodular Sclerosis Lymphoma. She received treatment in Iowa City and Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. Cindy and Katie wanted to pay forward the love given to them during Katie’s cancer journey and started “Covers of Comfort,” which provides fleece blankets to adult oncology patients.
Their mission statement is “As survivors and caregivers, we offer hope, encouragement, understanding and ‘warmth’ to adults on the cancer journey. We recognize that we are able to give the gift of a personalized fleece tie blanket through the compassion of others.”
Katie and Cindy return to Northwestern Prentice Hospital every December to give fleece blankets to adult cancer patients. Over the years, Iowa City Memorial Hospital, Iowa Methodist Hospital Cancer Center, Mercy and Finley in Dubuque, and Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois Day Treatment Centers have been added to the fleece blanket list.
Dubuque Senior’s Student Council has selected Covers of Comfort for their yearly service project for 11 years. The StuCo kids have made hundreds of blankets, written cards, and have even visited hospitals to distribute the blankets.
The Kelly Neiber Service Award is given to the service project that inspires and impacts people all over Iowa. Ms. Neiber contributed to the Iowa Association of Student Councils for over 20 years and has displayed amazing leadership and kindness throughout her life.
We are so proud of Our Rams for recognizing the love and generosity of this amazing program!
To donate a blanket to Covers of Comfort, contact Cindy at 563-542-7268 or email [email protected]. Katie and Cindy love to join your group to share their stories and join in the fun of making the blankets.
