Input PLEASE!

[breanna43]

I have a friend who is the vice-principal at a local school. (Not WS) She started a wonderful program called HELP for her students. It’s funded by community donations and she coordinates students in need of school supplies, clothes, general school-related expenses such as prom tickets, etc., with the items they need. Basicly, the student emails her confidentially with their need, and she responds with what she can do to help. The program started in the spring and has helped kids at her school with more that $12,000 worth of supplies. It’s been so popular and effective that it’s been featured on NPR, and in that community’s local publications. I think that our West Seattle Community could design a program very similar to this, and without the red tape of the school districts and whatnot. Just a very straight forward approach to helping our West Seattle youth. The economy is tough, and Im sure there are kids starting school without some essentials.

So I need feedback. How could this work? What are your thoughts? Would anyone want to help? What could we call our program and how would we get the word out to our youth that there is help? How would an account be set up? Can you help with any facet of the project?

My vision is that we create a community program that serves our WS youth for generations to come. Opinions welcome!!!

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[breanna43]

Really? No one has any input or enthusiasm about this thread? Maybe I mistook the ws bloggers as more compassionate than they are. Hm.

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[anatidaephobia]

People have probably not been on this forum, since it’s the weekend.

Anyway, I would love to help. My time and finances are limited, and I don’t want to have anything to do with accounts, but I could help get the word out or collect donations. Your friend probably has lots of ideas for you about how to get started. She had a high-profile position (VP school), but we could form as a parents’ group.

I think it’s a wonderful idea.

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[MargL]

I dunno – maybe we’re suffering from giving fatigue.

There are several organizations in the area already working to make sure kids have clothes to wear and school supplies that have been featured on the WSBlog just recently.

Pencil Me in For kids: http://www.illusionshairdesign.com/pencilmeinforkids/Home.html

West Seattle Helpline: http://www.westseattlehelpline.org/

There are probably others that I’ve missed.

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[JanS]

MargL…the first thing I thought of was “Pencil Me In For Kids”…breanna43, maybe you should contact both of the above linked organizations and see how you can help, run your idea by them, see what input that those who have worked on these things might have.

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[WSB]

Definitely second those suggestions. I was discussing with one of the organizers of one of the aforementioned efforts that there seem to be several competing/overlapping efforts and perhaps there’s strength in them cooperating – also, in White Center, there’s the YES Foundation’s annual school supplies giveaway, which we covered for White Center Now a week ago – they gave away a THOUSAND backpacks full of supplies – also special gift totes put together by World Vision with personal-care items and some goodies like movie discs.

P.S. Also to the point of “hello, is anybody out there” – the forum traffic is ALWAYS significantly slower on weekends – the front page traffic doesn’t drop that much but I believe that’s because people just check in quickly to see what’s making news in West Seattle, and then get back to their weekends.

Oh, PS on Helpline – they run Clothesline, a clothing bank, and REALLY need donations of “gently used” clothes. You can reach them thru Helpline.

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[mrhineh]

Not sure if this program still exists today, but last year I recall being approached at the Junction Safeway to assign a portion of our purchases made on our rewards account to a designated elementary school that Safeway will donate to schools. It didn’t affect what the rewards gave you credit for at the store, but based on your purchases under that a/c, SFY made a donation to a school you chose. This link might help:

http://backtoschools.escrip.com/

It doesn’t necessarily sound exactly like what you are doing, but every little bit helps?

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[charlabob]

Breanna, I was surprised too when I saw your thread last night. It sounds to me like it fills a gap in all the other programs (that people may not want to see).

The other programs are done with schools (or school supplies or …) but sounds like your friend set up something to make sure kids with less money can go to field trips and proms and .. be like the other kids. The confidentiality piece seems key too. What we need is someone to coordinate all of the efforts — to find out if everyone gets school supplies and no one get refills in November. If everyone gets adopted at Christmas — with presents and food — but no one gets $ to make their kids’ birthdays special. …

If this stuff always gets done through schools, how do we find homeschooled kids (or dropouts) who need some kind of one size doesn’t fit all help?

Just some ideas and to second the question about why no response. (Of course I didn’t respond either, but I have an excuse … right JanS and catlbob? :-)

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[JanS]

:) to Charlabob

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[breanna43]

That’s exactly it charlabob. There aren’t loopholes or redtape for the kids to jump through. They simply make a request, and if the resources are there, it gets filled. And they don’t need to prove income, wait in a line, or experience any kind of embarrassment. My feeling is that kids will seek out the resources to get their needs met, and I’d just like to provide some of those resources. Im willing to invest in our WS youth. I think other people are too, especially if they know that this is a very transparent and straight forward approach. Most people give in some way or another to various organizations. This program would have no overhead costs. It would be a matter of people and businesses donating money, goods, and services for our local youth. I envision a kid who needs a haircut, making a request, and us setting up an appointment with a barber or stylest that has agreed to donate a service, free of charge. Or another kid who needs new basketball shoes but cant afford them, contacting us and picking up an athletic store gift card, that he or she may use annonymously. I think we could even create a gift room somewhere that kids could go and choose something for their parent or siblings birthdays. I know I already have a re-gift closet with brand new items that I was given, but had no use for. Im sure other’s do too. Im thinking of calling the program “WS Help” and seeing if local school administrators would allow the program to include flyers in their newsletters.

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[breanna43]

With permission, here’s a link to my friend’s program at Redmond High School.

http://www.lwsd.org/school/rhs/For-Students/Pages/RHS-Help.aspx

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[JanS]

Breanna…how does your friend go about soliciting donations? It seems that most of all, she would need cash donations…does it come from parents within the school?

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[breanna43]

Hi JanS. It’s from community members, businesses, parents, whoever! She has a local optomitrist donating eye exams and glasses. Some hair stylists who donate their services. But you’re right, needed most is gift cards and $ donations, so that when a kid says they need clothes, or shoes or athletic gear, they’re given store credit, rather than cash. She’s really helped a lot of kids in Redmond, which is a pretty affluent area. While WS has its high income residents, there are so many that arent! And even people who used to have a lot of money are feeling squeezed right now. Im going to set everything up, get a 501c3 #, and put the word out to local businesses and community members. I truly believe that West Seattle cares about its kids’ well being, and I think people will help however they can. I want West Seattle to be a great place to be a kid.

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[charlabob]

I think other people will be willing too–in this case it may be “If you build it they will come.”

Contact me as charla at charla dot com if you want to brainstorm, etc.

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[inactive]

In whatever small way I can assist, I’m in.

I like that the kids can remain anonymous;

and, there is a proven, successful model to follow.

Good stuff.

Please contact me at westseattledood@yahoo.com.

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[breanna43]

Thanks everyone. I’m excited. We have a unique community in West Seattle and I think we can make it an even greater place to live. I applied for and received my EIN on the IRS website and will be applying for 501(c)(3) status so that people or businesses making large donations can write them off. Be looking this week for WS Help to become a sponser of the West Seattle Blog. I don’t know the cost of this yet, as Patrick said he’ll email me a packet tomorrow. But it will be with my money, not any donations that it will be paid. I’ll be contacting the couselors of our public Middle and High schools also, to find out how they may be able to assist us in getting the word out to the kids. I will be going to local businesses to inquire about their interest in helping. And I will set up a business account at Bank of America under the “WS Help” and a website also. Thank you for those who have already expressed an interest in helping. I will contact you soon.

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