"The Heros in Our Community program was such a success that we want to introduce it to our three other elementary schools."

Susan McQuaid, Facilitator
United Way of NW Michigan Volunteer Center and
Eastern Elementary School Kids Care Club
Traverse City, Michigan 

At Eastern Elementary School Kids Care Club in Traverse City, Michigan, teams were formed according to grade level under the title “Heroes In Our Community.” Parent facilitator, Jen Detmers was the super hero of the Kids Care Club program who organized it with other parents and teachers. Without her support these projects would not have been so successful.

The Eastern Elementary Kids Care Club Heroes initiative brought students, teachers, staff, and parents together to learn about civic responsibility, take social action, and make a difference in the Traverse City community, and around the world. Below is a school-wide overview of the “Hero” teams, the causes they supported, and the service projects they worked on together.

The Pre-School Team: The Tree Huggers – Issue: The Environment
The Tree Huggers are well on their way towards becoming good stewards of the environment. They kicked off their project in April. They read "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle, and planted sunflower seeds in pots in their classrooms. The Tree Huggers cared for the plants and read about recycling, air and pollution, nature, and ways to help care for the earth. Then the team took a field trip to Maple Bay Park in Williamsburg, where they planted the sunflower plants in a sunflower garden supported by the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy.

The Kindergarten Team: The Kinder Cares Team – Issue: Seniors
The Kinder Cares team spent April and May getting to know their "Kinder Buddies" - two residents from the Grand Traverse Pavilions who came to visit each Kindergarten class once a week over a 5 week period.

Prior to the Kinder Buddy visits, the teams read stories about seniors and the special relationships that can be formed between multi-generational friends. The team also worked on questions they wanted to ask their Buddies (Mr. Ron and Miss Mary). Through their time with their Kinder Buddies, they learned about what life was like when their senior friends were children, what school was like then, and how things have changed from when they were growing up until today.

Both Kinder Cares teams also got to take a special field trip to the Pavilions to visit Ron and Mary, and participated in a bingo tournament with the senior residents there. At the Closing Ceremony, Ron and Mary were presented with special scrapbooks made by the Kinder Cares Team. The scrapbooks celebrate their new friendships and the special time spent together.

The First Grade Team: The Cares Bears -- Issue: Babies & Children
The Care Bears have been learning about how they can help children in Traverse City, and around the world. They read and talked about what it takes to care for babies and children. They had a special visit from Mike Staff who presented a video from his recent trip to Haiti, where he met and worked with babies and children who survived the earthquake. The Care Bears spent early May creating "Caring Hearts" paintings – collages by each student, representing a painted version of a “Caring Heart”. The team auctioned the paintings on eBay and donated the proceeds from the sale to the Baby Pantry at the Traverse City Alternative High School. The Care Bears also sent over 50 stuffed animals to children living at an orphanage in Pignon, Haiti.

The Second & Third Grade Team: The Freedom Fighters-- Issue: Troops & Veterans
The Freedom Fighters learned about where U.S. soldiers are serving today, and about what life is like for the family members of soldiers. They attended a very informative presentation from the American Legion about the history, significance, meaning and proper usage of the US flag.

The Freedom Fighters ran a coin collection campaign to support an organization called Patches Kids. Patches Kids has launched a nationwide campaign to renew patriotism and bring much needed support to military families' children. Their goal is to support these children emotionally with "Patches the Bear", and let the children know it matters that their moms, dads, brothers and sisters are over in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for freedom. Patches is a stuffed bear that comes with eight different expressive emotion face symbols. He is used to help children learn to name, understand and appropriately express the emotions he or she feels. The team presented their check to Patches Kids at the Closing Ceremony.

The Fourth Grade Team: Helping Hands – Issue: Homelessness
The 4th Grade team has been learning about homelessness in the community, and about the organizations that help those in need. They kicked off their project with a visit from guest speaker Ryan Hannon of Goodwill Industries. Ryan talked to them about the Goodwill Inn, the Safe Harbor program, and Pete's Place shelter for youth in Northern Michigan. The Helping Hands team also did research on the different types of homes people live in around the world. Working with local artist Angela Schuler, the team created paintings called "Homes Around the World" – collages of straw, stone, adobe/mud, and log homes, house boats, homes on stilts, igloos, tee pees, and tents. Helping Hands sold these amazing paintings on eBay and presented a donation to Ryan for the Goodwill Inn at the Closing Ceremony.

The Fourth-Fifth Grade Team: Owl Help You – Issue: Animals
“Owl Help You” kicked off their Hero project in April with a special visit and presentation from the Cherryland Humane Society. The team learned about the different types of animals that live at the Humane Society, how the organization is run, and what its’ needs are. Over the weeks that followed, they also learned about the relationships that can form between humans and their pets. To support the Humane Society, Mrs. Kolle’s team created and sold their very own "Owl Help You Pet Bandanas". The team cut, pinned, sewed (with the help of a very special seamstress) and sold the bandanas at a Bandana & Pet-Themed Bake Sale in May. Owl Help You presented a donation (and some of their Pet Bandanas) to the Cherryland Humane Society at the Closing Ceremony.

The Fifth Grade Team: Mini Recon – Issue: Troops & Veterans The Mini Recon team had the unique and blessed opportunity to meet two local veterans – Jim Wibby and Richard Rizzio - and talk with them about their time in the service during World War II. The 5th graders met with the Veterans and interviewed them about a number of subjects, including the Battle of the Bulge which both men fought in. The team learned about courage, fear, and loss, but also got to hear stories of hope and even humor from Jim and Richard’s days overseas.

The team honored Mr. Wibby and Mr. Rizzio at a special Veterans Ceremony at Eastern on May 27, and presented them with scrapbooks filled with poems, letters and drawings. The team also introduced Mr. Wibby and Mr. Rizzio to the whole school at the Closing Ceremony. The audience was shown a brief video from the Veterans Ceremony, and a donation in their honor was given to a local organization to build a veterans home.

We congratulate all the students at Eastern Elementary School Kids Care Clubs and their parents and teachers who worked together to make all these wonderful events happen.  We commend you for your hard work and your compassion for others.