Carver kids will sleep better thanks to Winter visitor

What started out as a church confession among two parishioners three weeks ago ended Friday afternoon as smiles on the faces of 17 surprised kindergarten pupils.

Linda Garcia, kindergarten teacher at Carver Elementary School, sat in church next to a stranger who later introduced herself as Nataline Grewis. As the women struck up a conversation about the coming holidays and those in need, talks turned to the children in Garcia's class.

"I commented how some of the children would talk about how they don't sleep in a bedroom, but lay their head down in the living room," Garcia remembered. "And I thought: I want my kids to be comfy when they sleep in the living room or wherever else they sleep at night."

The two women casually exchanged contact information and went on with their day.

"I thought that was that. I forgot about it. A Sunday in church only slightly different than the rest," Garcia said.

But then a phone call came from Grewis. "She said very calmly, 'I have their gifts.' I thought maybe some bags of candy. But when she came to my house I was so surprised."

Grewis, remembering Garcia's comment about the sleeping arrangements of some of the underprivileged children, delivered 24 sleeping bag kits - 17 for kindergarten students and seven for after-school pupils Garcia teaches separately, equally divided between boys and girls.

"It was just a miracle. I mean, a little conversation that I thought was just passing time... I just started crying.

"You know, I know these kids, they're my students. I see them every day. But she, she didn't even know who they were, just from what I told her. She has compassion and a good heart. She truly is an angel. There are angels here on earth and she is one of them."

Garcia said that not only will the class write thank-you notes to Grewis, the school decided to dedicate a page to Grewis in this year's yearbook.

Grewis could not be reached for comment. She was in California when the gifts were passed out to the children on Friday, the last day of school before the holiday break.

Bryana Joya, a shy 5-year-old pupil, said of her gift, "I love it. It's so pretty and look ... the flashlight works!" she squealed.

Student Danila Duran was surprised and excited by her gift of a pink sleeping bag kit, decorated with purple butterflies, that came with a flashlight and water bottle. "Was the woman who gave us this gift beautiful?" she asked.

"Yes, she was beautiful like a fairy princess," Garcia replied.

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Stefani Guerrero Soucy can be reached at SSoucy@yumasun.com or 539-6857.