Kids and Haiti: Where to Begin?
The devastation in Haiti is hard to fully comprehend for many adults, much less kids. Here are some resources for talking to your kids about it, heartwarming stories about kids who have made efforts to help those affected, and some ideas for holding fundraisers of your own.
Eight Ways to Talk to Kids About Haiti
In this “Mom in the City” blog post, Kimberly Coleman passes along helpful tips from World Vision, a Christian humanitarian aid organization that has worked in Haiti for many years. Considering how difficult the tragedy can be for adults to discuss, it’s nice to see specific advice for discussing the topic with kids, many of whom can’t help but hear about it and of course have questions, and many are moved to want to help.
Kids Pitching In
Last Friday, a “Hats for Haiti” fundraiser was held at Highland Elementary school in Colorado. By allowing kids to wear hats for a donation of $1, and teachers to wear jeans for a donation of $5, the school raised over $700 for the Red Cross Haitian funds.
Charlie Simpson, a 7-year-old in London, rode his bike five miles around a local park for Haiti donations. He used a JustGiving website to raise the money for Unicef, which is leading emergency relief clusters on water, sanitation, education and nutrition as well as supporting child protection. His total amount raised is still climbing, and he has received donations from many people, including American Idol Judge Simon Cowell.
The stories continue in Puyallup, Washington, where four kids set up a hot chocolate stand at a school event and collected donations, and the students at a local private school have decided their annual Valentine’s Day fundraiser proceeds will be donated to Haiti relief.
Resources for Anyone Interested in Raising Funds
These, along with many more stories out there of families, groups, and schools finding ways to help are indeed heartwarming in the midst of the tragic images and coverage in the news. On the blog “Unplug Your Kids,” author “Mom Unplugged” gives some ideas and resources for anyone wanting to pitch in.
