#ad Help End Hunger With Tyson and Champions For Kids Know Hunger Project

I am a member of the Collective Bias® and Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and it's advertiser.

 



I am thrilled to be participating in the Tyson and Champions for Kids Know Hunger project with a food donation in my local community.

 

Tyson Foods has partnered with Champions for Kids to create the Summer of Giving, where every time you buy a specially marked Tyson product, Tyson will donate a meal for a child in need.

 

In an effort to help create awareness of hunger, Tyson created the Know Hunger project.

The project is designed to encourage people to KNOW the scope of hunger in their own communities and get involved in relief efforts, so someday there will be NO hunger in our country.

 

I purchased Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken to create a meal of chicken tacos for my family, and to make a donation of a dinner to a mom in our community. This mom and her kids are going through some rough times, and I knew she would welcome a home cooked meal. We also gave a package of Tyson chicken nuggets that the kids could eat later.

 

My grandson Jayden came along with me to make the donation, and I know it did his heart good to help others.

 

Hunger is something that many of us are fortunate enough not to have to go through. But of course, many children go to bed hungry each night. And 1 in 4 Americans is worried about having enough money to put food on the table in the next year.

By buying specially marked Tyson product packages, you can help in the fight again childhood hunger. This is such an easy way to help out, and provide delicious tasting meals for your own family at the same time.

I purchased my Tyson chicken products at my local Walmart. Through the Know Hunger project, Walmart has promised to feed 5 million kids this summer.

I always love cooking with Tyson's Grilled & Ready Chicken. The chicken is already cooked and frozen with delicious flavors, and it's super easy to just pop it in the pan.

Tacos are one of my family's favorite meals, so I make them pretty often. And it feels great that when I purchase Tyson products, I am helping to fight hunger.
#CollectiveBias

I really enjoyed making my family these chicken tacos for dinner. But even more so, I enjoyed making them and donating them to a family in need.

It doesn't take a whole lot sometimes to make a difference in other people's lives. But sometimes we aren't truly aware of the needs that exist, even in our own communities. Community involvement is often the first step.

Thanks to Tyson and Champions for Kids, the Know Hunger project helps make us all aware of the pressing needs of feeding others in our own communities, and nation wide.

Please make this your #SummerofGiving by purchasing the specially marked packages of Tyson products.

You can also look for the Summer Of Giving display board at your local Walmart.

Thank you!!

#ad Be a Hunger Hero with Tyson Chicken and Sam's Club #HungerHeroes #Cbias

Stopping childhood hunger is an issue I am strongly behind. In our country with such abundance there should never be children that do not have enough food to eat. We donate food all year long to donation drop offs and a local transitional housing program for families. We take the time to do so and would hope if we were ever in need others would do the same.

We recently learned about how Tyson Chicken and Sam's Club has teamed up with Champions for Kids to make donating a meal as easy as buying a product we already purchase through the Be a Hunger Hero project. We attended a Tyson Chicken Nuggets demo at Sam's Club to learn more about the Buy a Bag Give a Meal project. The sample station guy was very informative telling us about the coloring pages and how if we had the kids color them and upload them to the Club Tyson Facebook page a meal would be donated.

While at Sam's Club we found the Tyson Hunger Heroes demo that we learned about on the Tyson Hunger Relief website. Tyson Chicken will donate a meal (4 oz of meat) for each bag of 5 lb. Tyson Chicken Nuggets purchased at Sam's Club from now until Aug. 31, 2013. Online we read about the Hunger Heroes project and found where and what time Sam's Club near us would be holding the demo event. The next Hunger Heroes demos will be on Aug. 29, 30 and 31 from 11-2 at a Sam's Club near you.

When I told my son we were going to be Hunger Heroes at Sam's Club he wanted to wear his super hero cape to the store. He sampled many of the Chicken Nuggets, I told him he already likes them but he insisted he needed to have just one more to try. He was excited that we were going to have coloring pages to share with his friends to color. I enjoy opportunities like this to share with my son about donating to others. Something fun like being a Hunger Hero is a perfect way to share with him that we are giving food to kids in need by buying Chicken Nuggets. He a little guy but he does understand what donating means.

Here is a short clip about the Tyson Chicken Hunger Heroes project:

                       

After talking to the demo guy at Sam's Club and getting the other items we needed for a fun dinner at the pool we headed home to cook our nuggets. I planned to take dinner down to our local pool for my son and his friends to eat. I wanted to share with the kids and parents about the Tyson Buy a Bag Give a Meal project.

My son wanted to continue to be a Hunger Hero at the pool so he wore a tshirt that had Elmo as a super hero and a yellow cape on it. His cape was a great conversation starter about the Hunger Heroes project. Many people already buy Tyson Chicken nuggets and I wanted to inform them that if they buy it at Sam;s Club before Aug. 31, 2013 a meal ( 4 oz. of meat) would be donated to kids in need.

I told all the kids about the Hunger Heroes and how if we colored some of the pages and I uploaded them that a meal would be donated from Tyson Chicken to kids in need. The kids were happy to color the pages once they knew that kids in need would be helped. They all did a great job on the coloring. I wish I had more pages for the other kids that wanted to color when they learned why we were doing it. I love how kids when informed are willing to help out.

We had a wonderful time at the pool being Hunger Heroes while we shared food and fun with our friends. I even over heard one of the kids tell my son not to waste his dinner since some kids do not have enough food to eat. It was so sweet to hear that they really do listen and care. I hope that your family will attend a Sam's Club demo to buy a bag of Tyson Chicken and help donate a meal through Champions for Kids. Anyone can be a Hunger Hero!

You can learn more about Tyson Chicken on Facebook and Twitter. See my shopping trip to Sam's Club in my Google+ story and how my little guy wearing his cape helped others to learn about being a Hunger Hero.

Champions for Kids Dial Into Giving Donation #DialCFK

By Patricia

This month's Champions for Kids Simple Service Project is all about providing personal care items for children in need. Champions for Kids has teamed up with Dial Soap in the month of October to encourage donations of these very important items that children need to be and stay healthy.

I went to my local Walmart to purchase items to donate to my favorite place that helps those in need, the Kingston Food Bank. I bought lots of Dial hand soap and Dial bar soap for donation.

Did you know that Dial Complete is the #1 Doctor Recommended antibacterial hand wash? According to the Centers for Disease control, 80% of infectious diseases are spread through hand contact. You can go here and find out how to teach your children the importance of regular hand washing, and the best way to do it effectively.

I decided to make some personal care kits to donate for kids. I was also asking friends and family for their own donations to my project. For the care kits, I included Dial Soaps, kids shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and fun nylon scrubs.

Low income families that receive food stamps are not allowed to use them to buy any personal care products, and some families struggle to obtain them on a regular basis. #DialCFK

My grandson helped me put together my care kits. We wrapped them in cellophane and a bow so that they would look cheerful and make the child that receives them will feel like they are getting a gift. 

My grandson has helped me on Simple Service Projects before, and I am so happy that he understands that when he is helping me, he is really helping other children.

I chose to make my donation to the Kingston Food Bank. It is run with love and devotion by Barb Felton,

whose own parents started the food bank over 50 years ago. I love donating here, and knowing my donations are always needed, and put to good use right here in the community.

Here we are making our donation of care kits to the food bank. Barb and her volunteers distribute much more than food. Household items, clothing, baby clothes, diapers and more are available. I am happy my donation will be able to be given to kids that really need them.

You can Dial into Giving and help the children in your community by getting involved in the October Champions for Kids Simple Service Project. Simply gather donations from family, friends, or co-workers and donate them to a charity that benefits children. You can be one of millions to help Champions for Kids meet their goal of helping 20 million people by 2020.

To learn more about Champions for kids and how you can get involved in Simple Service Projects, go to their website  Champions For Kids. You can read my Google+ story about my shopping trip to Walmart for Dial Soap products for ideas for your donation.

You can learn more about Champions for Kids and Dial by following them online:

Champions for Kids Twitter 
Champions for Kids Facebook
Dial on Facebook
Dial on Twitter

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Dial Soaps  #DialCFK  #CBias #SocialFabric

Champions For Kids Dial Into Giving #CBias

By Patricia

This month's Champions for Kids Simple Service Project is all about providing personal care items for children in need. Champions for Kids has teamed up with Dial Soap in the month of October to encourage donations of these very important items that children need to be and stay healthy.

In 2011 the number of Americans receiving food stamps hit an all time high. But families receiving food stamps cannot use them to buy soap, shampoo, or other basic personal items that help keep kids clean and healthy.

I am so proud to be participating in this month's Simple Service Project and helping the kids in my community. I have been made aware that there is a real need at the local food bank. Donations are down, not just for food, but for other personal and household items that they distribute to those in need as well. As parents need help in providing meals for their families, that means they don't usually have money for soaps, toothpaste, and other needed items. I am very happy to be making my donation here to the food bank, and that what I contribute will be put into the hands of children that need them the most.

I went to my local Walmart to buy Dial Soaps and other personal care products. I love that this Champions for Kids Simple Service Project. is so important to kids physical and mental health. When children feel good about themselves, they are more confident and do better in school.

Besides buying Dial bar soap and dial hand soap, I am also buying toothpaste and toothbrushes. I am going to be making some personal care kits that the food bank can give to the kids that need them.

This is what I am buying today to start my donation. I will also be asking family and friends to contribute soap, shampoo, and other items that I can put into the personal care kits. I would like to make as many kits as possible for the food bank.

I am happy to be 1 in a million to help Champions for Kids reach and help 20 million kids by 2020. You can Dial into Giving too, by contributing Dial Soaps and other products to kids in your community. #DialCFK

I will be putting the personal care kits together to include Dial bar soap, Dial hand soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and shampoo/conditioner. I have also included colorful nylon scrubs to have some soapy fun in the bathtub or shower.

I'm encouraging everyone to contribute and participate in this very important project for children. So many of us take soap and other basic hygiene products for granted, but for the kids that don't have them, they can make all the difference in the quality of those children's lives. 

Make October the month that you begin making a difference for the children in your community. Join Dial Soap and Champions for Kids and help bring a healthier and happier life to kids everywhere.

Visit the Champions For Kids website to learn all about the Dial Into Giving project. You can read my Google+ story about my shopping trip to Walmart for Dial Soap products for ideas for your donation.
             .
You can learn more about Champions for Kids and Dial by following them online:

Champions for Kids Twitter 
Champions for Kids Facebook
Dial on Facebook
Dial on Twitter

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Dial Soaps  #DialCFK  #CBias #SocialFabric

Sylvan Dell Publishing: Thank You for the Donation

My family has been Sylvan Dell Publishing fans since we first read The Giraffe Who was Afraid of Heights by David Ufer over a year ago. Since then we have enjoyed reading the cute titles about animals, the solar system, eco-system and more. The illustrations are always colorful.

This month I participated in the Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive to donate books to the Roseville Home Start Program. Since I knew my son enjoyed the books by Sylvan Dell I knew the kids in the transitional housing program would too. Sylvan Dell gladly gave us books to donate for our book drive. I know the kids that received the books will treasure them!

My son was so excited to see all the books we were sent to add to our book drive donation. He held up the two he thought were the coolest, he said "Wow Cool". It made me smile a little to myself since the two he liked were the ones that to me seemed California related, earthquakes and oceans!

Sylvan Dell Publishing sent 4 great titles:

Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean - "Tuck your little ones into bed with this soothing, restful story. How do marine mammals - animals that breathe air - sleep in the deep waters of the ocean? Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean answers this question. Youngsters meet ten marine mammals, including sea otters and bottlenose dolphins, manatees and harbor seals, humpback whales and walruses, and learn about each animal's unique habits. Although the brief portraits are based on up-to-date scientific research, author Gail Langer Karwoski weaves the facts into simple, poetic language. Connie McLennan's rich oil paintings capture the ocean's habitats and its appealing creatures. The story invites children to drift into a peaceful sleep on the gentle waves of imagination."

Panda's Earthquake Escape -  "Pandas' Earthquake Escape is a fictional story based on a real-life event. In real life, XiXi, a Giant panda did escape from the destroyed Wolong Panda Reserve when the 7.9 earthquake rocked Northern China on May 12, 2008. Author Phyllis Perry uses the adventures of a mother panda, LiLing, and her one year old cub, Tengfei, to teach children about earthquakes, animal survival, and to reinforce a mother's instinct to protect her child. After the quake, mother and cub run from the wreckage. Confused and afraid, they get lost! How will they survive outside their reserve? Will they find food? Will they find shelter? And will they safely endure the earthquake after-shocks? There is something to be learned from every natural disaster, and LiLing and Tengfei give children an opportunity to see it through their eyes. With the help of Susan Detwiler's vivid illustrations, author Phyllis Perry uses a factual event to teach children about earthquakes and animal survival."

The Rainforest Grew All Around -  "Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life. The jungle comes alive as children learn about the wide variety of creatures lurking in the lush Amazon rainforest in this clever adaptation of the song "The Green Grass Grew All Around." Search each page to find unique rainforest bugs and butterflies hiding in the illustrations. Delve even deeper into the jungle using sidebars and the "For Creative Minds" educational section, both filled with fun facts about the plants and animals, how they live in the rainforest and the products we use that come from the rainforest."

The Glaciers Are Melting! - "Chicken Little may have thought the sky was falling but Peter Pika is sure the glaciers are melting and is off to talk to the Mountain Monarch about it. Joined along the way by friends Tammy Ptarmigan, Sally Squirrel, Mandy Marmot, and Harry Hare, they all wonder what will happen to them if the glaciers melt. Where will they live, how will they survive? When Wiley Wolverine tries to trick them, can the Mountain Monarch save them? More importantly, can the Mountain Monarch stop the glaciers from melting?"

The donation pile of books for the kids at Roseville Home Start

THANK YOU Sylvan Dell Publishing for your contribution to the Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Book Drive. The kids at Roseville Home Start are thankful for the books they received. You can purchase the Sylvan Dell books mentioned in this post and see the other great books they carry online at Sylvan Dell Publishing.

You can connect with Sylvan Dell Publishing on Facebook and Twitter.

Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Book Drive Donation

Today we donated our books we collect from family, friends, neighbors and publishing companies for our Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Book Drive Simple Service Project. I was so happy with all the donations we were able to collect. I am thankfully to everyone that helped support our book drive. Knowing that 61% of low-income families have no books for children in their homes inspired me to need to get books to those kids. Reading in my home is a treasured activity that we enjoy as a family. I want all kids to be able to sit down with a book and get lost in the adventure they are reading. Reading encourages learning, creativity and bonding time with your kids. Encourage your kids to read to you, siblings, family members or even their pets!

All the great books we will donate

We wrapped our book donation and added some colorful stuffing to make it a nice present.

My son and I packaged up all the wonderful books we planned to donate and headed to Roseville Home Start. I selected Roseville Home Start to receive our Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Book Drive Donation because many of the children living at the program no longer have the items including books that they once did. The charity helps local families that have become homeless get back on their feet through job and education training and a temporary home. They provide a home for these families that have found themselves needing help. What touches me about this charity is that homelessness can happen to anyone. A lost job, then a foreclosure or eviction and you find your family homeless. I cannot imagine the stress of that. Having children going through this brings me to tears.

We are bring books and "this book belongs to" tags to the charity today to bring a little bit of joy to the kids that live there. I want the kids to know that the book is theirs to keep forever no matter where they live. My son loves to point out his name tags in his own books before we read them. Knowing its his since he name is on it makes him smile. I hope our book donation will bring a smile to the kids living here.

Roseville Home Start was once a hotel but was turned into a housing program.

Today we were able to meet a few new people that worked at Home Start. They are always so nice about a donation and even sent us a thank you email.

On behalf of Roseville Home Start, thank you for your generous donation of children's books for the families at Home Start. As you know, we are a private, non-profit community based organization that relies heavily on community support. Since 1995, we have served thousands of homeless children and their families in Placer County and beyond. Thanks to donors like you, Roseville Home Start provided 56 families (114 children and 72 adults) in 2011 with a place to live, learn, and feel safe. Our community is a better place because you care.

This was so heart warming to read! I love the last line, we really do care and one person can make a difference. I had neighbors and companies help with my donation but had I not asked the books would not have been given. I love to see how people can come together to help kids!

I encourage all of you to participate in the Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive in your own communities and to report it on the Champions for Kids website. Together we can be the one of millions to help Champions for Kids meet their goal of helping 20 million people by 2020. It can be as simple as asking friends and family to help you by collecting gently used books. So many of us have kids or grandkids that have books they have outgrown that other kids would cherish. Or get together and have a donation jar for change for whatever money people have to spare for money to buy new books. You can participate by having community group or kids sports teams make a group donation of a few books too. There are so many ways each and everyone of us can find a way to help kids get the books they need. #NickCFK

My son was so sweet today. He told me We are taking books to the kidsies Mom. (He calls kids "kidsies)

Thank you Roseville Home Start for all you do for the community

A big thank you to Sylvan Dell Publishing and Zondervan Publishing for contributing books to the donation.

You can read more about the Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive in my blog post about the September Simple Service Project here. For more ideas on what types of books Walmart has to buy for your donation, including the awesome Bargain Bin you can read my Google+ Story.




*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids. #NickCFK #CBias All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Champions for Kids September Simple Service Project: Nickelodeon Book Drive

As far back as I have memories books have been front and center in my life. My mom read to us all the time and made sure there were plenty of books for us 5 kids. Birthdays, Holidays and just because books were given to us. I have wonderful memories of trips to the book store to meet authors to sign our books, even Babar the Elephant at one book event. Books are very important to my family and its a love I now share with my own son. Not only is my son learning as I read to him and he "reads" in his own way back to me (he is almost 3 years old) but its a time we can bond as a family.

Libraries were something we were lucky enough to have access to. Once we even lived next door to a huge library it was Awesome!!! Sadly this is not the case in many homes. Many families and educators do not have the resources to buy books for their own children or students. The thought that kids do not have the chance to sit down and read a book at home makes me beyond sad. Books not only teach kids to read but they teach them to be creative and to see the world through a different perspective.

Here are some facts about Children's Literacy in America from Champions for Kids:

• Students who do more reading at home are better readers and have higher math scores. Students with more types of reading materials in the home also demonstrate greater reading proficiency.
•  67% of fourth graders in the U.S. are reading below a Proficient level, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.
• 61% of low-income families have no books for children in their homes, and more than 80% of the preschool and after-school programs serving at-risk children have no books at all.
•  Approximately 8.7 million fourth through twelfth grade students struggle with required reading and writing tasks in school. For many adolescent students, ongoing difficulties with reading and writing figure prominently in the decision to drop out of school.

For the month of September Champions for Kids Simple Service Project will be a Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I am so excited to be a part of this project. Books are so special to me and I feel like every home should be full of them.

 My son and I headed to Walmart to shop for books to donate. I found many cute Nickelodeon books with the characters we know. There was Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go and Sponge Bob. I was looking for Blues Clues too but did not spot him. We found many great books to donate at low prices.

 My son loves books as much as I do and had a blast helping me pick out the books for us to buy. Our book section had many books to select from. I wish it was bigger but that's just because I LOVE books!

These are the books I have collected just in the last few days for my Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I have the books I purchased at Walmart and a few others that neighbors have given me. I have only just started to collect donations and I look forward to seeing how many books we can collect for a local charity. I have selected a local charity that I know could use these books. They house families in transition from being homeless to independent living in sustainable environments. These families could be any of our neighbors that have lost jobs and then lost their homes with no where to turn. I feel this charity can use the book donation to give to the children that live there. There can be as many as 30 kids living at the charity transitional homes that need these books to make sure they can get the quality reading they deserve.

I encourage all of you to participate in the Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive in your own communities and to report it on the Champions for Kids website. Together we can be the one of millions to help Champions for Kids meet their goal of helping 20 million people by 2020. It can be as simple as asking friends and family to help you by collecting gently used books. So many of us have kids or grandkids that have books they have outgrown that other kids would cherish. Or get together and have a donation jar for change for whatever money people have to spare for money to buy new books. You can participate by having community group or kids sports teams make a group donation of a few books too. There are so many ways each and everyone of us can find a way to help kids get the books they need. #NickCFK

Here is a short video from Champions for Kids about the Nickelodeon Book Drive:




For more ideas on what types of books Walmart has to buy for your donation, including the awesome Bargain Bin you can read my Google+ Story.



*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids. #NickCFK #CBias All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Donating Champions for Kids Elmer's Bag It Forward School Supplies

Having the opportunity to help a teacher and kids in my own community makes me happier than I can explain. I have always admired teachers for what they do and elementary school was a magical time for me. I loved school for the reading, writing, art and projects. I have read statistic and news articles about the cut backs to schools and how teachers are paying out of their own paychecks for supplies. I remember when I was kid it seemed there were limitless supplies or my teachers made it be that way for us kids. Most teachers love what they do and provide what the kids need, not asking for help. That is why I am so happy Champions for Kids teams up with Elmer's to inspire people all over America to Bag It Forward.

My son and I went shopping at our local Walmart for Elmer's products and other back to school supplies. We found a Elmer's display that had lists of items needed for back to school for each grade. I grabbed a 2nd grade list since I wanted to donate to a local 2nd grade class in my neighborhood. For me 2nd grade was great! I had a fun teacher and there was lots of reading. I have always loved books! We even went to a school for a year that had a huge ship in the middle of the school where kids could take a book on board to read. It was a cozy ship made from like squishy matting, I wish I had a picture of it. It was the coolest thing I have seen at a school! We lived in WA at the time,  rain and snow up there makes for a need to have cool indoor stuff like the Reading Ship.

I have always assumed that I alone was not enough to impact the life of anyone. That just one person doing something was not enough (I was so wrong!). Through taking part of the Champions for Kids Simple Service Projects I have realized that if I am one of the people doing a project that we all add up to millions! Even as a budget savvy Mom I still can donate. Shopping at Walmart we were able to find great prices on back to school supplies. We spent almost $26 and got 46 items to donate! I was so happy to be able to give that much stuff to a teacher and her students.

I selected a local elementary school Lichen Elementary to take my donation to. This is a school in my neighborhood where the kids play at the park my son does and as parents we all shop at the same local stores. I wanted to help kids that I may not know but are a part of my community. My son is not old enough for school, to me he is still a baby! :) He sure did love being on the school campus though. He was telling me over and over "Mama, Kids!!" He waved to people, pointed out to me posters and the characters he saw on back packs. He was super excited to be there!

My son was running all over her classroom he was so excited. He grabbed a book and climbed into the reading area too.

We were so excited to meet the 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Rhodes. We took the giant bag a supplies with all the Elmer's glue products and other supplies to her classroom. (I still think the Elmer's purple disappearing glue is so cool!) Mrs. Rhodes was super nice! Teachers do a tough job and there a many kids in her class that she is responsible for shaping into the future adults of our world.  I hope our donation lets her know the community is behind her and we appreciate all she does for our neighborhood kids. She was very thankful for our donation and super sweet to my son. My little guy even shook her hand when we met her. (I have taught him to be a little gentleman and shake someones hand when first meeting them since he was 1) Too cute! I was talking to her about the statistics I read about for teachers expenses for supplies for their own classroom. She told me that yes she does spend a large amount each year for her students. I hope more families and even companies will take part in the Bag It Forward campaign to help teachers and students.

It had been over a decade since I had been in a classroom at an elementary school, since my little sister was in Kindergarten but the joy of a classroom came immediately back. I loved all the posters, books, the little desks and small touches of a teachers personality. I am hoping we will have the chance to come back to Mrs. Rhodes classroom to donate more supplies all year long. I encourage everyone to give back to the community you live in through the Bag It Forward Simple Service Project from Champions for Kids. The teachers and the kids will be grateful for it.

You can read my first blog post about the Champions for Kids Elmer's Bag It Forward project to see the low prices and variety of supplies we purchased for our donation here. #BagItForward #Champions4Kids

You can read my Google+ story for ideas on what to buy for your Elmer's Bag It Forward donation.

To learn more about Champions for Kids you can follow them on twitter and facebook. 

For great ideas on items to donate from Elmer's you can follow them on twitter and facebook.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Help Teachers and Children with Elmer's Bag It Forward Back to School Supplies

I have always loved the beginning of the school year. It was a fresh start with so much to look forward to learning. New teachers, new students and new back to school items were wonderful. For many families back to school can also be stressful due to the cost of getting kids ready for the new school year. I want to make difference in the lives of kids in my area. Helping with back to school supplies is a simple and great way to help out.

My son is not yet in school but I still feel the need to help out other children for this exciting time of year. I have worked with a wonderful charity Champions for Kids in the past and was thrilled to learn they were having a Elmer's Bag It Forward campaign as the Simple Service Project for the month of August. There is still plenty of time to make a donation. Champions for Kids has many great ideas on how anyone can help. As an individual or as a group. You can host a back to school neighborhood party where you asks your guest to bring school supplies to add to the big donation. You can have a school supply drive at your work or church. You can also shop with your own family to gather supplies at the store to donate.

My son and I shopped at Walmart for our donation since I knew it would be a great store to find low prices. You can give your donation to a local teacher, charity or food bank. Many food banks will be able to make sure your donation goes to kids who need the items. We are planning to donate our items to a local elementary school teacher.

Many of the items at Walmart were $0.50 or $1 like this Elmer's Glue.

If you are unsure of what to buy for back to school supplies look inside your local Walmart. They have a big Elmer's display that contains lists by grade for the items needed. If your shopping for your own kids too it would be a great time to show them how they can help select a few items for other kids.

I have selected the elementary school since its in my own neighborhood. I picked a second grade teacher since my second grade teacher was awesome and so was the school I went to at that time. We drive by the school all the time on the way to the park and store. The kids that go to that school are the same ones that play at the park my son goes to, the parents are the ones who shop at the local stores we do. It feels awesome to be able to help a teacher and her students that are a part of my own neighborhood. There have been cut backs in the school district in our area. Teachers often have a large out of pocket expense to make up for the lack of supplies and I feel great knowing we will do our part to help. Since we shopped in the local Walmart in our neighborhood about 10 minutes from the school we were able to get 47 items for $26! That is a lot of supplies that will be used by kids that live near by.

 If you do not know of a charity or school in need but would still like to donate you can look in your local Walmart in the back to school area or near the check out lines for the Champions for Kids Elmer's Bag It Forward donation box. Its an easy way to be able to help local kids.

Anyone can participate in a Simple Service Project from Champions for Kids. Its a great way to get your family, friends and kids excited about back to school by helping out other kids with a Elmer's Bag It Forward donation. #BagItForward #Champions4Kids

You can read my Google+ story for ideas on what to buy for your Elmer's Bag It Forward donation.

My son had a blast helping me shop and organize the items we plan to donate.

Some info from the Champions for Kids site about the Elmer's Bag It Forward campaign: 

Did You Know?

• Teachers spend an average of $356 out-of-pocket on quality school supplies every single year. Many
spend up to $1500 just to provide basic classroom necessities.

• More than 31 million students from low-income families receive free or reduced-price school
lunches. Their parents often find it challenging to buy project boards, scissors, paper and glue. It’s
been proven that having quality supplies is important to building a child’s confidence and self-esteem
which, in turn, supports educational accomplishments.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.