In the wake of the mass shooting at Michigan State University on February 13, where three students were killed and five others injured, a group of MSU mothers decided to spread love and support. Heather Sertic, the mother of a third-year student, organized a line of tables when students returned to class, offering snacks, hot drinks, support animals and warm company. She received over $13,000 in donations when she shared the idea via Facebook, “and probably double that in donated goods from businesses across the state,” she said. “That’s a brave act for kids to come back to the place that they were, you know, victimized in a way,” Sertic said.

The effort, Sertic explained, was to help students see that they can feel safe on campus again. “This is their home, and we realize their home was invaded, and they’re going to have anxiety and they’re going to feel unsafe at times,” Sertic told MLive.com. “But we want to show them that we support them. We’re here with them. We want to help them take their home back.”

Read more about campus happenings after the MSU shootings here.