Stadium Elementary School is no stranger to kindness and good deeds.

In fact, during the school’s recent Kindness Week in February, Alan Shawn Feinstein recognized the students there for their donation of 387 canned goods, giving them $1 per can for the school, and giving each student his Feinstein Scholar cards which provide them discounts at various community businesses.

However, it takes a very special person to really go above and beyond their everyday job requirements to be extra kind to others. According to school nurse Deborah Hornung, that’s exactly what she’s seeing.

“For a few years now, our crossing guard who is stationed here at the school, Pat Fico, who also happens to be the supervisor of all the crossing guards, has been donating hats, coats, gloves, boots and even jeans to the students at our school,” Hornung said. “From her post outside, she started to notice the kids who were coming to and from school at the beginning and end of the day without the things they needed for cold weather, and she started to bring things in for them.”

According to Hornung, Fico’s donations are from her heart, but also from her own pocket, as she goes to sales and auctions, making purchases with her own money for the students at Stadium School.

“It’s to the point now where they will often save things for her because they know she’s coming in to look for items for our students,” Hornung said. “She’s always asking me what we need here.”

As the school nurse, Hornung is responsible for reaching out to the teachers to see if they notice a need for any of their students, and helping to provide the items if she can.

“When we had the first blizzard this winter, our principal, Cheri Sacco, made an announcement over the loudspeaker asking the students to come to the office if they need any cold weather wear for the upcoming storm,” she said. “Even though we’d already given out several sets at the start of the season, 13 children still came down to the office looking for warm clothes for the storm. We have such a huge need here. Had it not been for Pat and her donations, I don’t know what we’d have done.”

Hornung said Fico has been so consistent in her donations that there are now enough items on hand that they are being stored in bins in the school basement, ready for any requests that are made.

“We get donations from our staff members and from parents when kids have grown out of things, but nothing like this, nothing like Pat has done for us,” Hornung said. “She’s always asking me specifically what we need, she’s always very caring and very thoughtful.”

Although many of the clothes are new, with tags on them, Hornung said that for any that are gently used, Fico takes them home to be washed first, before bringing them into school.

Sacco is thankful that Fico takes the extra time to care for the students at Stadium School.

“She always makes a specific effort to go out and shop for our kids, and it’s so appreciated,” Sacco said. “She truly cares and is truly a part of our school community.”

Both Sacco and Hornung noted that Fico has no other ties to the school, and no family members who attend Stadium. She has created her own ties to the school with her caring, time and effort, which extend beyond the school day.

“She’s so much more than just our crossing guard,” Hornung said. “I don’t know what we’d do without her.”