The school year is winding down and the kids are getting restless. Do you look at the summer ahead and think what in the world am I going to do with these kids? Well here are two amazing girls from Girls Scout Troop 40185 that rallied their Troop to give back to children in need. They donated blanket after blanket for our Comfort BackPack Program that provides comfort for abused/neglected, foster, homeless and refugee children.
Sometimes when you feel all alone in a big scary world there is nothing better than cuddling up, wrapping yourself in and holding tight to a blanket or stuffed animal. The girls’ generosity will definitely bring a smile to the child’s face. Inspiring, amazing, memorable, life changing is what these generous donations of blankets will mean to these children. The items in the Comfort BackPacks provide comfort and items for children to call their own during traumatic situations. In our first year, BackPack Beginnings packed and distributed 1,100 Comfort BackPacks and the number grows each year.
So how can you help inspire your children to excellence by giving back to help a child in need? Easy! Just remember make it fun, make it easy and, most important, let them own it. Kids have the purest hearts and no matter what they do it will help a child in need and inspire excellence in your child. Here are a few fun kid friendly ideas to help you get started:
- Make fleece blankets
- Do a Scavenger Hunt for food items
- A Food Drive Playdate or party
- Organize a Neighborhood Shoe Drive
- Bake sales to raise funds
- Neighborhood Yard Sale and give kids a scavenger hunt list to find items to donate, percentage of Yard Sale proceeds can go to charity or have a “donate list buy in” where participants can donate certain items on a specified list and then receive admittance into Neighborhood Yard Sale
- Donate outgrown/gently used stuffed animals, books, toys
- Shop and pack their own food bag to donate
- Make a Change for Change money jar where they can collect change for chores this summer and donate the jar to help feed a child for multiple weekends. Just $5.00 feeds a child for 1 weekend!
- On vacation let them collect the toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and body wash at the hotels to go in a Comfort BackPack
We look forward to hearing you stories this summer and seeing all the great things your kids can do to inspire excellence in others and themselves!
Written on 5/28/2014 by Blogger Tanya Smith