PUEBLO, Colorado — With high school graduation plans still up in the air, a local teacher and softball coach has started a movement in Pueblo to help those high school seniors know that they're not forgotten during this crisis. Danielle Villegas started a Facebook group this week called Adopt a Pueblo Senior.
Parents will post a few photos of their student and write a few details about them. Then, usually within minutes of posting, other parents in the group "adopt" that teen and offer send them a gift or a note of encouragement.
"Everything that they've done this year, we don't want them to think that it's gone unnoticed," Villegas said.
She got the idea after being invited to join a similar group for high school students in Colorado Springs.
"I started by inviting the seniors of, the parents of the girls that I coach, because I'm a coach at Pueblo County, I started inviting those parents and his friends parents and then asking them to just start adding members."
Within two days, the group had more than 1,000 members. In four days, they doubled their membership to 2,400.
"It's cool that the whole Pueblo community is contributing to it and giving back to the community."
Her step-son Jose Handford is a student-athlete at County High who is graduating this spring. He said it's been uplifting to see the Pueblo community rally around the Class of 2020.
"It's cool that the whole Pueblo community is contributing to it and giving back to the community," he said.
The group is a private Facebook group meaning you'll need to be invited to join. Villegas said she hopes to the movement she created can reach every high school senior in Pueblo.
"Everyone has a story and it's really nice to be able to see all of these kids getting to share that story."
Download the News5 App | Watch News5 on a streaming device
RELATED:
Complete coronavirus coverage
Coronavirus related closures
Get the latest from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Click here for the latest update on the number of cases, the age, gender and location of presumptive positive, indeterminate and confirmed cases from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
People who have general questions about coronavirus disease 2019 can call CO HELP at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 for answers in many languages. Email COHELP@RMPDC.org for answers in English.
