Champions for Kids - 2/2 - Views From the Ville

Hold a Big Help Book Drive and provide books for kids.

I have always felt really lucky that I had two parents who made sure I fell in love with books and reading practically from birth. Some of my earliest memories are of being read to, or of flipping through books on my own. I had a pretty expansive library even as a toddler, and as I got older I was encouraged to pick out new books at book fairs and through those monthly fliers from Scholastic that were sent home from school. I’m confident that the foundation in literacy that my parents built for me directly influenced my decision to make English one of my college majors.

What I didn’t know at the time was that wasn’t the case for every child. 61% of low-income families have no books for children in their homes, and more than 80% of the preschool and after-school programs serving at-risk children have no books at all. If you remember from the Champions For Kids Bag It Forward project I participated in last month, the teacher who received my donations said they sent books home with the kids at night so they would have things to read.

Nickelodeon books, like SpongeBob SquarePants available at Walmart

There are books available at Walmart that are based on Nickelodeon TV shows, like these SpongeBob ones. A lot of them come in these six packs, which are a great savings!

A few days ago I shared with you that Champions for Kids had partnered with Spinbrush for a new SIMPLE Service Project – Spin Into Action – and that my family was excited to be participating. Well, over the past few days we’ve also involved our family and friends to collect a donation of oral health care items. We also made a return trip back to Walmart (you can see our entire first shopping trip here) to pick up a few additional donations of our own.

Captain American Spinbrush #SpinbrushCFK

My Way! Spinbrushes With Stickers #SpinbrushCFK

When we hit the oral health care aisle at Walmart I was glad to see that they had some of the Captain American Spinbrushes left, because it was one I really wanted to include in my donation. They also had plenty of the My Way! Spinbrushes which I think are completely cool (really, where were all these fun toothbrushes when I was a kid?). Since I had already picked up a Captain America one, I went with the pink My Way! one to balance it out. Continue reading »

A few months ago I introduced you to Champions for Kids when I participated in my first Simple Service Project. We really enjoyed making a difference, even if it was a small one. So I was really excited when I was offered the opportunity to participate in a second one, this time partnering with Arm & Hammer and their Spinbrush line.

Many families, especially in this economic climate, have to make sacrifices, and for some of them one of the cuts made is dental care. In fact, 19% of kids between the ages of 2 and 19 have untreated cavities. This can lead to embarrassment, pain, and distraction from their education.

You may remember that a couple of weeks ago Bubbles and I went shopping at Walmart in search of Jennie-O turkey products to kick off our Jennie-O Make The Switch challenge. I shared with you at the time that we were working on a surprise Champions for Kids SIMPLE Service Project. We were going to give up something unhealthy and/or unnecessary and put those savings towards making a donation that would provide meals for hungry children.

Donations for the Jennie-O Make The Switch challenge

The project I had originally planned we were unable to complete due to some red tape. Not to be deterred, I quickly moved us on to Plan B. Continue reading »

Recently I learned that in the United States more than 17 million children are at risk for hunger. Most of us can barely even comprehend a number that size. Initially I just felt sad, but then it spurred me to look for ways to get involved and address the issue.

Champions For Kids Logo

Fortunately I am not alone in my desire to help. Champions for Kids is working mobilize 20 million people by 2012, so over the next few weeks, my family and I are going to be participating in a SIMPLE Service Project that will involve a food donation and nutritional education. Our project is kind of a surprise as I finalize the details so more on that later! Continue reading »

Views From the Ville

We’re Hosting a Big Help Book Drive – Will You? #NickCFK

Hold a Big Help Book Drive and provide books for kids.

Spinning Into Action To Make An Oral Health Care Donation With #SpinbrushCFK

Join Us As We Spin Into Action And Brighten Children’s Smiles

We’re Making The Switch Can Benefit Others

We’re Taking the Jennie-O Make The Switch Challenge – Will You?