By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — The Incredibles, Captain America and the phrase “I am Super” were some of the designs featured on superhero capes that St. Ambrose University students created for foster children in the Quad-City area. The university’s National Society for Leadership and Success made the capes and also prepared care packages for clients of Humility of Mary Shelter in Davenport.
From left, Chris Overton, Katrina Pechay and Simon Flores make superhero capes for youths in the Quad-City area. The St. Ambrose University students from the National Society of Leadership and Success made superhero capes for foster children and care packages for Humility of Mary Shelter clients.
Briana Morales, the society’s president, said, “We are a leadership honor society on campus with a mission to build leaders who make a better world through our dedication to service in the local community.”
Each semester the group comes together for a community service night. Last fall they made suitcases for children in foster care, holiday cards for veterans and care packages for local people in need. This semester it was care packages and superhero capes.
On April 20, students gathered in the Rogalski Center to fulfill their mission. For the care packages, students packed a water bottle, granola bar, journal, pen, toothbrush and toothpaste into one sock and used the sock’s partner to secure the package. Those items will be delivered to Humility of Mary Shelter.
For the cape project, students cut off the sleeves and fronts of T-shirts that their peers donated, leaving the collar and blank back intact. Another group of students used puffy fabric paint and glitter to design superhero capes for foster children.
Freshman Simon Flores made his own design using the phrase “I am Super.” Sophomore Chris Overton used his cell phone to locate an image of the Incredibles logo so he could replicate it on a cape. Senior Katrina Pechay made a Captain America cape with lots of glitter. “This was something fun to do for the kids.” The student volunteers also made birthday cards to bring to shelter residents.
“St. Ambrose does a lot of service for the community and we wanted to do something different,” Morales explained of the April 20 event. Because society members are involved with various organizations and recognized possible needs, they decided on the care packages and capes.
