In June, members of the Curiale School Kids Care Club in Bridgeport, Connecticut performed in the Barnum Festival Road Show. This event, part of the P. T. Barnum Festival, whose mission includes serving people with disabilities, entertains residents at area nursing homes with musical acts. Last year, members of the club auditioned and won a spot on the tour and on a float in the 4th of July parade. To the delight of the members, the club made the cut again this year. The 8th grade leaders of the club selected music, choreographed the dances and trained the younger dancers. Throughout the year, part of each week's meeting was dedicated to practicing. On, June 13th, they performed for eight different facilities. The residents were especially thrilled to see young children perform and the club was honored to be a part in cheering up hundreds of residents. Arthene Lauzon

Members of the Royle School Kids Care Club joined with Brownie Girl Scout Troop 324 in Darien, CT to help girls in foster care. Realizing that children and teens in foster care often lack the basic necessities, the Troup decided to target pre-teen girls and created a Pillowcase Care Package.

Using their profits from cookie sales, the girls went shopping and purchased toiletries, hair accessories, a journal, pen and crayons. All new items were placed in a new purple pillowcase tied with a pink box and labeled: A Pillowcase Care Package for someone special. Made with Love By Brownie Girls Scout Troop 324. They were delivered to the Kids Care Clubs office for social workers to pick up and deliver to their clients.

Members of the Kinship Kids Care Club in Aitkin, Minnesota organized a display for Kick Butts 'Cause Kids Care! and made 60 Kick Butts - Quit Kits. Their work was displayed at the McGregor Area Health Clinic during the week of March 26th - 30th. Each patient received a Kick Butts -- Quit Kit which included sugar free candies, gum, licorice, stress balls and information from the American Lung Association and American Cancer Society. Kimberly Clement

The Pawling Kids Care Club 3rd graders of Pawling, NY participated in 4 projects. Each class chose a different project. One group of students created a project they named Soldier Care Packs. They brainstormed a list of items they thought soldiers overseas needed. Ideas from a flyer from the group Semper Fi Parents of the Hudson Valley were also used and many donations were collected. The children created colorful greeting cards to accompany the packages that were sent to our U.S. soldiers stationed overseas.

Another class chose to participate in Animal Friends. They made a list of items and had a collection to support a local animal shelter. When Mary, the veterinary technician, came to visit the class, she brought some of her animal friends. She talked with the children about caring for pets and, to everyone's amazement, demonstrated how a bunny could be gently hypnotized.

Students in two other classes voted to participate in Giggle Bags. These are gift bags filled with objects that would make a child smile. The children formulated a list of items, collected their donations, and then decorated and packed the gift bags that were delivered to a local area shelter. Deborah Gibson, Facilitator

Volunteer Frederick Kids Care Club worked with 41 Guys and Girls Only youth and 20 youth from the School for the Deaf on a project titled Earth Day Every Day during May 7th-May 10th. This project involved youth learning about the importance and benefit of trees locally and globally. The Guys and Girls Only also learned about stream bank stabilization and habitat restoration. The service project involved the youth planting 425 trees near a farmland stream (Chesapeake Bay Tributary) that had been devastated and abandoned. The youth planted, watered, and installed 425 protective tree covers in just 4 days! Jennae DuBois, Youth Service Director