An eight-year-old girl is making crosses and sending them to police officers and firefighters across the United States to protect them.
Arianna Nichols, a third-grade student at St. John Neumann Catholic School in Maryville, Illinois, started making the crosses from Perler beads that she got for her birthday last August and has sent them to police officers in every state, mom Laura Nichols told ABC News.
She first gave the crosses to fellow church members, restaurant workers and neighbours and then to the police when a friend said her husband was a cop.
"Arianna said 'Can you take one to protect him?'" Nichols said. "Arianna gave her a handful and told her to give them to all the people he works with to protect them."
The Madison County Sheriff's Department in Illinois was the first to get Arianna's handmade crosses last September.
"From there, Arianna was like 'I want to give more, I want to protect more,' so I started reaching out to friends with spouses who are police officers," Nichols said.
The Snellville Police Department in Snellville, Georgia, got Arianna's crosses weeks ago.
"We are very humbled by her precious and loving act," Capt. Greg Perry said. "We wish her the best in spreading such a positive message to those in the public safety profession, and feel blessed to be involved with what she has started."
To date, Arianna has sent 6,087 crosses to 90 departments in 30 states and even to Sydney, Australia.
Her mom told the Belleville-News Democrat, "It takes 17 to 20 minutes to make one tray of 42 crosses. She makes three or four trays a day."
In each package, Arianna encloses a note that says, "Hello, my name is Arianna. I am 8 years old. I make crosses to spread God's word. God's word is peace, kindness, love, joy, patience, hope and faith. I am also Catholic and religious and loving and caring. I am a very happy girl. I hope my crosses inspire people to pray and love Jesus. I also hope my crosses protect you. Love, Arianna."
