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Hi everyone. my daughter wants to start some kind of donation or drive. she read a book about a homeless woman in school and was really touched by it. she has been asking me to help her for weeks. I am going to call the ronald mcdonald house to see if we can do anything for/through them-
does anyone have any other ideas? i'm proud she really wants to do this but dont have any idea what to collect or where to begin. i would like to get this going with her in the next few weeks-thanks
My sorority had Children's Miracle Network as our Philanthropy and they are always looking for donations. See if there is a CMN hospital in your area. We also did things like make boo boo bunnies and coloring books for the kids and bring them to the hospital. One of those two things we aren't allowed to make anymore and I can't remember which one. We also got to have a tour of the hospital, it was nice.
Another sorority had Ronald McDonald house and they would go volunteer at the house once a semester. I've actually volunteered there through Key Club in high school. It's very rewarding and VERY sad.
I have done tons of volunteer work over the years if you have any questions.
My girls wanted to do the same thing so we decided it would be a great idea if the children themselves got involved by culling out their clothes and excess toys. We knew of some recent Myanmar (Burma) immigrants who had literally nothing so we outfitted 3 kids and two adults in plenty of winter clothes, toys, puzzles and some furniture and kitchen supplies. I think it helps the kids to relate better if they know somebody in their school who is needy. At least it did in our situation.
Good luck. Our school Community Outreach Coordinator helped us with this project.
One of the most creative (and successful) drives I have heard of goes on yearly in the town we used to live in. It's called "Stuff the Bus". A school bus spends a day or two parked in front of each participating school, and the schools compete to see which one can fill it with the most donations. In this case it's done as a food drive for area food banks. I believe they determine the winner by weighing the bus at the bus depot before unloading it and taking it to the next school. The kids love it.
As we've learned from years in Roots and Shoots, decide upon a specific recipient and find out what the facility needs before you start your drive. Sometimes, items that we work so hard to collect end up not being needed because another group has recently made a large donation. Money is always needed, but for some reason, people seem to like donating things instead of money.
BTW, your daughter is awesome, and you are a terrific mom for cultivating her giving spirit. Mad props to both of you!
And a P.S. if your community doesn't have a Roots and Shoots chapter, you can start one!
She might be interested in participating in "The Pajama Program". You can read all about it on their website. They collect new jammies and books for children who are emergently moved into foster care or shelters. She would ask friends and family for donations of a pajama set and a book that could go for the same age child. The website outlines how you get the donations into the hands of someone who needs it.
Everyone likes clean fresh jammies and a good book!
When we were looking into foster care in GA we learned that the kids are shuffled from place to place with their belongings in black trash bags. You can imagine how that made them feel. So our sunday schol class decided to collect slightly used luggage or overnight bags or anything to give the kids a sense of pride to at least carry a bookbag or brief case to their next foster home. I made some really cute backpacks for the younger kids with a matching blanket and pillow. they were a real hit.
It would be fairly easy to collect fabric for the Little Dresses for Little Girls in Africa project just featured on the News.. Some folks donate materials, some sewing skills and others do sorting and packing.
We did a project at my college where we collected gently used prom and formal dresses to give to girls who can't afford them. It was a nice project.
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