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Katrinas Effects on Kids
Hurricane Katrina has caused many people to feel overwhelmed, confused, and helplesseven children. As adults and parents, we all have a role in helping children deal with the crisis and making them feel safe.
More information:
http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/katrinaseffects.aspx
Helping Your Kids Cope in Times of Crisis
How can you help your kids deal with tough situations and make them feel safe in times of crisis? Children are exposed to traumatic events like Hurricane Katrina through TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and even adult conversations that they overhear. The information can be scary to kids and they often need help managing what theyve seen or heard. When you start talking with your children, you help them handle their feelings and you start a recovery of your own.
More information:
http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/helpyourkids.aspx
Donate Now
to Relief Organizations
Local PTA units,
councils, and individuals are encouraged to donate financial
support to the relief charity of their choice. Please see the
two links below. If your PTA is
planning to do any fundraising for a relief organization, please
notify the charity. Fundraising for many groups such as the Red
Cross must be authorized by the organization.
If a PTA is a
501(c)(3), the board of directors may approve a fundraiser or
donation to a relief organization recognized by the IRS as a
501(c)(3). However, the best practice would be for the PTA's
membership to approve or ratify the donation. The approval of
the donation must appear in the official meeting minutes. PTA
funds may not be raised to benefit specific families or
individuals.
If a PTA is a
501(c)(4), a separate account must be set up for the specific
purpose of handling the relief funds. These donations
would be considered tax deductible if going to one of the
organizations listed on the two links below.
Click
here for a charity list from Network for Good.
Click
here for a charity list from FEMA.
Adopt-a-PTA
Program
National
PTA's Hurricane Katrina Adopt-a-PTA program is designed to help PTAs across the country coordinate their efforts to assist those hurt by Hurricane Katrina. This online program allows PTAs to register their needs - for their schools, for other non-PTA schools in their community, for displaced children and families, or any other type of support to help the families and communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Note: To access the site you will need to use the
login/password on the back of your NPTA membership card.
www.pta.org/local_leader/adopt/
National PTA
Resources
Disaster
Relief Information Center
Disaster
Relief Bulletin Board
"Kids
of Katrina" Contribution Form
Louisiana PTA
Accepting Donations
Louisiana
PTA is collecting cash donations to purchase school supplies
such as pencils, pens, paper, etc. Details can be found
online at www.lapta.org
Mississippi
Schools Seek Assistance
This hurricane relief page
features information on Adopt-a-School
and donating money, goods, and services to hurricane recovery
programs in Mississippi.
ftp://research.mde.k12.ms.us/pub/HKDP.htm
Mississippi
PTA Relief Efforts
The State PTA of
Mississippi is accepting donations which will assist schools
recovering from the hurricane. Contact information can be found
online at www.mississippipta.org/
PTAs Aid in Relief to Katrina Victims
PTAs around
Washington State are mobilizing a variety of programs to help victims of
Hurricane Katrina. Some examples:
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PTAs
in Anacortes are planning a district-wide "Helping
Hands" drive. They will cut out paper hands that will
be sold for $1. When someone buys a hand, they will
put their name on it and display it at the school where
they made their donation. At the end of the week
each individual PTA that has collected money for
"Helping Hands" will write a check for the
amount they have collected to the American Red Cross.
Businesses in the community are also encouraged to join in
the effort.
-
Arrowhead
Elementary PTA in Kenmore hosts a monthly fundraiser where
popcorn is sold at lunch time for a quarter to all the
kids. This month, the kids will be running the show
and advertising the event as a fundraiser for Katrina
victims.
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Cascade
Elementary in Renton is organizing a lollipop drive
to raise money to assist relief efforts.
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The Meridian Park PTSA
in Shoreline hosted a "dunk tank" at their Back to School BBQ with all proceeds going to the Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
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Whitney
School
(K-3) in Anacortes will hold a Walk-a-thon for Hurricane
Katrina Relief. The city will close off a two block
area and children will walk the 1/5 mile track. The
PTA will provide volunteers to count the laps and water
for all participants. All money collected will be
donated to the American Red Cross. Donations will be
taken in the form of a per lap pledge or a flat donation.
Whitney currently has 2 former students whose families are
displaced because of the hurricane.
-
Lake Youngs PTSA
in Kent is holding a coin drive for the hurricane victims and will be donating
the proceeds to the Red Cross.
-
Springbrook Elementary PTA in Kent has a penny drive underway with the proceeds going to the Red Cross, earmarked for school supplies for the Katrina survivors.
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Children from Montlake Elementary School in Seattle participated in a "donations for donuts" campaign to benefit hurricane
victims. Donuts were offered in exchange for a contribution before the University of Washington Husky football game. The children raised $1500 and will donate all proceeds to Mercy Corps hurricane relief efforts.
-
North Hill PTSA is hosting
an annual October Family Night. One of the 5th grade classes, with the help of the PTSA, held class officer elections. They then appointed a Katrina Fundraising chair who will be working with the PTSA unit treasurer and the other fifth and sixth grade classes to organize a bake sale at the PTSA Family Fun Night. The unit has committed to matching the proceeds raised through the bake sale. All proceeds will be forwarded to the Clairborne PTA in Mississippi to help purchase uniforms for 75 evacuees in Watson Jr. Elementary School in Port Gibson.
What is your
PTA doing to help the relief efforts? If you have a story
to share, please send it to wapta@wastatepta.org.
Helping Kids
Cope With Trauma
The links below offer
help to explain the disaster to your children and to promote
childrens mental health.
American Academy of Child & Adolescent
Psychiatry
www.aacap.org/publications/DisasterResponse/index.htm
National Mental Health
Association
www.nmha.org/reassurance/hurricane/children.cfm
US Department of
Health
http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/
Voices for America's Children
www.childadvocacy.org
Hurricane Katrina Relief
Service-Learning Resources and Tools
The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse has collected resources and tools to help students and teachers develop a service-learning or community service project to assist with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
www.servicelearning.org/nslc/hurricane_katrina/index.php
Hurricane
Media Literacy
For educators who want to
help students analyze, understand, and cope with Hurricane
Katrina and its aftermath, the Alliance for a Media Literate
America offers a basic set of media literacy activities and
suggestions.
www.amlainfo.org/hurricane/index.php
Student and
Teacher Supply Kits
The Council
of Chief State School Officers is coordinating a campaign for
student and teacher resource kits to help those damaged
schools still able to operate but without supplies, and
displaced students who will resume school activities in other
states.
www.ccsso.org/whats_new/6907.cfm
OSPI Hurricane
Relief Website
This site is intended to be a
resource for Washington schools and districts. Included is
information about enrolling students in our schools who have
been displaced by Hurricane Katrina, as well as additional
resources to meet their needs.
www.k12.wa.us/Communications/HurricaneRelief.aspx
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