They have recycled old pillowcases into trick-or-treat bags for some area children.

Andrew Crum, hotel manager, said the bed linens were no longer suitable for hotel use.

The housekeeping staff, with the help of corporate co-sponsor Procter & Gamble, volunteered to launder and refurbish the pillowcases into trick-or-treat bags.

Hampton Inn Cincinnati Eastgate front-desk clerk Sara Ellis works on filling up trick-or-treat bags made out of pillowcases from the Eastgate Hampton Inn Tuesday. The Enquirer/ERNEST COLEMAN

The employees personalized the bags by taking them home, adding drawstrings, glow-in-the-dark paints, embroidery, silk autumn leaves and other designs.

Crum said the the project became a labor of love for the employees.

About 100 bags were completed, decorated, filled with candy and personal-care products. They were donated to the Kid's Cafe at the FreeStore/FoodBank, with each member of the staff's signature.

"Halloween is not traditionally a time when people think about contributing to our programs in this way,'' said Jennifer Ebelbar, director of development at the FreeStore/FoodBank. "It was a very nice surprise to get the phone call from the Hampton Inn. The trick-or-treat sacks they made and the items they put inside will make a big difference to a lot of kids that we serve.''

The personal-care items included toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, toilet paper, tissues, deodorant, mouthwash, soap, Band-Aids and laundry products.

Anyone who wants to donate may drop off at: Kid's Cafe, c/o FreeStore/FoodBank, Front Bay Area, 112 E. Liberty St., Over-the-Rhine. Drop-off hours are: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

McNick senior honored

Joe Lehnert, a senior at McNicholas High School, Mount Washington, has been recognized by the College Board's National Recognition Program.

The program was initiated in 1983 to identify outstanding Hispanic high school students and to share information about these students with subscribing colleges and universities.

Students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as high school juniors and by identifying themselves as Hispanics.

From among 140,000, students nationwide, about 4,200 of the highest-scoring students are chosen.

"Joe is a very serious student with a great compassion for other people,'' said Terri Schaeffer, chairman of the Spanish Department at the school.

He is the son of Irene Lehnert of Eastgate.

Earns associate's degree

Jennifer Anderson has received an associate's degree in applied science from the Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala. In addition, she was awarded the First Command Scholarship of Academic Excellence Award and the Standard System Group Chiefs' Scholarship Award.

The Finneytown High School graduate is a communications-computer systems operations journeyman assigned to the Standard Systems Group at Maxwell.

Basic training graduates

These privates have graduated from Army basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.:

Chris Roberts, Lakota East High School graduate and son of Judy Schuermann of West Chester Township and Gary Roberts of Forest Park; Terry Daniel Jr., Hughes Center High School graduate and son of Deana and Chris Robertson of Riverside; Michael Sterwerf, Roger Bacon High School graduate; Jacob Sebens, Turpin High School graduate; Timothy Mays, Withrow High School graduate and son of Sharon Mays of Evanston; Elliott Brunner, Oak Hills High School graduate and son of Ron Brunner of Delhi Township; Megan Gerse, Colerain High School graduate and daughter of Shelly and Dave Gerse of Colerain Township; Andrea Heglin, Finneytown High School graduate, and Zane Westerfield, North College Hill High School graduate and son of Zane Westerfield Jr. of College Hill.

Airman promoted

David Listermann has been promoted to the rank of Airman first class in the U.S. Air Force. He is a crew chief assigned to the 325th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Fla.

The airman is a graduate of Franklin County High School, Brookville, Ind.

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