TAMPA, Fla. — At church in East Tampa, a group is on a mission to turn the clothes of those who've served into a keepsake for those in our community that are fighting a different battle.
"Belonging blankets" for kids in foster care.
It's a passion project for the military family behind the "Bautista Project Inc," the nonprofit spearheading this effort.
"One day I was going into my garage and I tripped over a tote of uniforms. And I asked my husband, 'what are you going to do with these?' and he said, 'I'm just going to turn them in, I think they're going to discard them.' And I said, 'why don't we make blankets for kids in need?" said Marla Bautista, the CEO of the Bautista Project Inc.
Marla told ABC Action News it's also a passion project that's also connected to life experience.
"I wanted kids to have something who go from home to home. Something that belonged to them. Something that they can call their own," she said, "I experienced homelessness as a young adult, and I promised myself if I ever overcame homelessness that, I would spend my life giving back to those in need."
And as the stitches of love and sacrifice come together, we learn that the blankets will be presented to those kids in need at an annual Christmas party in just a few months.
"Just to see their faces, to know that somebody is thinking about them throughout the year, it truly warms all of our hearts. And this is what helps our community thrive. It brings us together and helps us do better for one another," said Marla.
This blanket initiative is just one of many community service projects that the Bautista Project Inc. is tackling. To learn more about the organization, click here.
