Donate: October 2008 Archives

If you buy a kit now, you will not have to think about it again for five years!

Every student needs to have an emergency kit. Kits contain food, water, emergency blankets and rain ponchos. They are there to support your child incase of an emergency including an earthquake or a school lock-down. You can either supply a kit yourself, or you can purchase a kit through the PTA.

Purchasing from the PTA

This year the PTA is purchasing kits that have a 5 year shelf life. Kits cost $8.00. We will make sure your child has a kit next year. Expired kits will be disposed of at the end of their shelf life. If you would like to prepare a special message for your child please feel free to send it in. Send it to the PTA ­ EHS. Special messages should be clearly marked for with your child’s name and their teacher’s name and can include a note, pictures or information such as phone numbers. Donations for those who cannot afford a kit are always welcome.

Making your own kit

If you choose to make your own kit, please clearly mark it with your child’s name and their teacher’s name. Kits should include an emergency blanket, garbage bag or rain ponchos, 1 liter of water and 2-4 energy or protein bars. You can also include comfort notes, light sticks, or a small flash light.

A few years ago I attended a workshop on “A Latte for Charity-Shopping with Charity in Mind.” The basic premise was choosing to purchase for food banks by spending a `latte’ or cup of coffee a paycheck. There are three main times of need for food by families on the Federal Food Program; Winter Break, Spring Break and summer vacation.

Here is how it works. Purposefully plan to get as much as you can with your $2 - $3 each time you do your major shopping. Use coupons, buy-one get-one free offers, shop sale items. Have a box in the garage or floor of your pantry to store these items. Over the approximately 3 months of purchasing you should have a large box full of food to give to the seasonal food drives or just before school’s out.

Money may seem tighter…it is in my house…a dollar a week or a “latte” a paycheck does not feel like too much of a hardship. My family has a large “banana” box from Costco we are working on for the “Holiday Baskets” PTA Council project in December. It is also a great project for kids. Let them scour the ads each week looking for the best way to spend the $2 - $3.

Why not join me? Let’s work together to continue to provide the level of service we have in the past to the increasing number of families needing help this December, one cup of coffee at a time.

Sarah-Ann Woodfield
Shoreline PTA Council, Co-VP Family Services
sarah.woodfield@comcast.net