Kids Care Clubs have been very resourceful and creative in implementing coin drives to help children affected by disasters.

In response to the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the Pines Lake School KCC (Wayne, NJ) collected $4729.72 for Habitat for Humanity, International by decorating milk containers like houses. When the students donated, their names went on paper bricks to construct a house near the school's main entrance.

The Colonial Road KCC (Franklin Lakes, NJ) held a Pajama Party. Each child was asked to come to school with their pajamas on -- the clothes on their backs - simulating the fact that the tsunami survivors had the clothes they were wearing. Each child had the opportunity to purchase a "Pillow Cut Out" that they could decorate for $5. The pillows were displayed in the school's hallways with a big chart showing how much they collected and information about how much $1, $5, etc. can help.

Other clubs sold soft gel bracelets to support tsunami relief. The American Legion Junior Auxiliary KCC (Boyd, WI) raised $200, the Holly Hills KCC (Denver, CO) raised $600 and the Princeton Elementary KCC (Orlando, FL) sold 1000. The Wood Park KCC (Commack, NY) raised $700 in four days by selling decorated ribbon bracelets.

Collecting coins is a fast and simple way of raising funds to support children and families affected by disasters.

Materials Needed:

• Poster board, markers and flyers
• Containers
• A "bulletin board" type display to keep people informed of how much you are collecting.

Steps Involved:

1. Choose the organization(s) you want to donate to. See Kids Care Clubs Caring Partners.
2. Research the organization and include information about their relief efforts.
3. Discuss the project with your club members
4. Create flyers and posters announcing your collection. Name the receiving organization on your flyer. If you have a certain goal, state it on the posters and flyers.
5. Decide how you want to collect the coins. Considering the three suggested relief agencies, your club might want to go with a theme. See Theme Ideas below.
6. Have a meeting to count the money and compose a letter from your Kids Care Club.
7. Ask the kids how they feel about what they have done.
8. Send the money to your chosen agency.
9. Report back to your "donors" on the amount collected.

Theme Ideas based on response to Hurricane Katrina

AmeriCares trucked in bottled water, medicine and general relief supplies to the evacuees.

Use sports water bottles to collect coins from friends and family at home. They could be brought to school and displayed in the classroom or "poured" into a larger water bottle in a central location.

Buy bottled water or ask for donations from local merchants and sell it for a profit at fall sporting events.

Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) developed the "home in a box project" to be implanted in Operation Home Delivery. Home's will be pre-built, disassembled and then shipped by container to affected areas to be rebuilt by Habitat and local volunteers. To build 1,500 homes, Habitat will need 100 million dollars or about $67,000 per house.

Take small boxes or milk container cartons and turn them in to "box houses" to collect coins.

America's Second Harvest delivered 10.6 million pounds of food and groceries to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Hold a bake sale and specialize in Southern recipes. Try making New Orleans Pralines, Mississippi Mud Cake or Alabama Pound Cake. See recipes below:

New Orleans Pralines

1 1/4 cups of sugar
3/4 cups of brown sugar
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans

Preparation:
Put sugars & milk in heavy bottom pan & cook to soft ball stage. (that is when syrup dropped into water forms a ball but flattens out when picked up with fingers) Take off fire & add frozen butter, vanilla & pecans & stir until shine leaves mixture & then spoon on waxed paper.

The recipe below was taken from About.com http://southernfood.about.com/od/pralines/r/bl81212b.htm.

Mississippi Mud Cake

2 sticks of margarine
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup of cocoa
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
dash of salt
1 small package miniature marshmallows

Preparation:
Melt margarine; add cocoa with beaten eggs, flour and milk. Add salt and sugar. Beat well, then add nuts and beat more. Pour in greased pan 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Pour marshmallows over cake while still hot. Put cake in warm oven until marshmallows melt.

Icing:
1 package confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 stick soft margarine
1/3 cup of cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup of milk
Beat well. Pour over marshmallows

Alabama Pound Cake

3 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
6 eggs
1 8-oz. cream cheese

Preparation:
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at the time. Add soda to flour and gradually add to butter and sugar. Mix well. Add cream cheese and mix well. Pour into tube pan. Start to bake in a cold oven. Set oven at 325 degrees. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until done.

Volunteer Centers help to recruit volunteers to help in times of disaster. They place people in shelters and other areas identified by their local emergency management offices.Click on Volunteer Center to locate one near your club.

Recognition

Create a bulletin board with maps of areas affected by the disaster. Create multi-colored paper cutouts representing the number people or children responding to your project.