"The students yearn to please and they feel good about themselves when they help others. Our students are very giving and want to do so much more. I am so proud of them."
Julie White, Facilitator
Edward Everett School Kids Care Club
Dorchester, Massachusett

The Edward Everett Kids Care Club was started by Julie White, the Communications Specialist at Edward Everett Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts in early spring of 2008. Their tag line could be: "Everyone Gets Involved" because the Club encompasses all students and all grades at the school.  Projects are chosen for each grade level that will teach children to be responsible, have respect, work together, be kind and to believe that they can do something to impact their school, their community and the world in a positive way.

During this past winter the fifth graders organized a food drive and a coat drive. They kept accurate count of all the food items and coats that were collected. Over 120 coats were given to a local program called Coats for Kids. Some coats were even donated to kids in need at Edward Everett School.

For the local shelter in Dorchester, the Saint Ambrose Inn, the fifth graders collected and donated over 1000 non-perishable food items. This homeless shelter accommodates 15 families. In addition to food items, they collected toiletries and other necessities and assembled baskets to give to the families.

Going to the shelter to stock the shelves with the food and supplies was a great, eye-opening experience for all of them. A fifth grader commented, "I was amazed that a shelter, that has fifteen families did not have much food on the shelves when we got there. After we were done, I felt proud that our school was able to feed so many families, and the shelves were full from our donations." Another fifth grade member said, "This experience has changed my life. I will no longer look at a shelter in the same way. Before I was ignorant to what actually goes on and who lives there. Now I know that in a blink of an eye, I could become a tenant." The project inspired the fifth grade students to take on two additional community service projects.

The kindergarten kids came up with their own idea on how to reach out to kids at the St. Ambrose Shelter.  After discussing what life is like for homeless children, the kindergarteners decided to provide "popsicle parties" to brighten up the summer days for the 18-25 children who live there. They asked all the kindergarten classes to participate in the Pennies for Popsicles Collection. The class who collected the most pennies earned a popsicle party and the honor of delivering the collection to the shelter.  They collected over 19,447 pennies.

First graders planted flowers and did a spring clean-up for their schoolyard. They painted and decorated flowerpots with wildflower seeds and distributed them randomly around the neighborhood with a poem/note attached that said:

We planted these seeds of Wildflowers
For you.
We hope they will grow very soon.
Edward Everett Kids Care
About people in our Community.
Being Good Citizens for you to See!
Enjoy,
Happy Spring!

Second graders are collecting gently used clothes and plan to donate the clothes to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America in mid-June. Their goal is to collect 100 bags of clothes. During the first month of the collection they collected 25 bags. Fourth graders will handle the shoes for the organization through the Used Shoes for You project, contributing their slightly used shoes and sneakers.

The third graders are participating in the Pennies for Peace Campaign. Pennies for Peace raises money to build schools in Central Asia. The club members believe that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time. Their goal is to raise 5 million pennies to build a school that can be their sister school. They are also asking local businesses to help by displaying containers they created to collect donations. They would love to make this an annual project and involve the entire community.  With the help of their facilitator, they are also applying for grants to help meet their goal. 

Another third grade is designing a tribute to the Franklin Park Zoo in collaboration with the Project Hope Children's Center. The Center is a childcare center for 26 homeless and low-income children, ages 0-6 years. It targets children in crisis and children with special needs.  The Edward Everett Kids Care Club members will create framed art pictures of the animals that live at the community zoo with the preschoolers from Project Hope. The art will be displayed at an annual Arts Festival on June 16th and all the children will visit the zoo. These club members plan to continue working together with the Project Hope Pre-School to serve as mentors.

Edward Everett Kids Care Club members in the fourth and fifth grades are also reaching out to seniors in their community. They have prepared songs and poetry to share with seniors living at the Kit Clark Residence and will be making them birdhouses. Previously, they created and read poetry with elderly women from The Greater Boston Jewish Coaltion for Literacy. A fourth grade club member says, "I love when the ladies come and read with us. It helps us realize that people really do care about children. I have learned so much from Ms. D. I love her."

Kids Care Clubs commends the Everett Edwards Kids Care Club for including all members of their school community in their projects and reaching out to so many children and families in their community. 

Kids Care Clubs is pleased to be joined by Quaker in providing special recognition for the Club of the Month. Members of the Edward Everett Kids Care Club will receive a special gift directly from Quaker to share with their families and friends.