Project KINDNESS

Project KINDNESS means Kids In Need Deserve New Elementary School Supplies. I founded this effort to help other kids that are somethimes forgotten. For four years I have collected donations to provide needy kids with school supplies. These donations were in the form of money and actual supplies. To raise awareness, I mailed flyers to local businesses, family and neighbors. The response has been amazing!! I also visit the children to read throughout the year. Project KINDNESS supplied 200 kindergartners at Memorial Elementary in Arcadia, Florida with backpacks, school boxes, crayons,scissors, glue, pencils, markers, colored pencils, lined writing paper, and construction paper. Many of the children at this school qualify for the "Free Lunch" program due to the financial needs of their families. I was made aware of this school after Hurricane Charley struck their town in 2004. After supporting this school through my own school's Program called Building Buddies, I discovered these kids needed help long before "Charley" came to town. Since 2005, I have donated school supplies to the incoming kindergarten class, read to the kindergartners, brought juice and cookies in the Spring, and delivered Holiday gifts (one year for all 960 students and last year to the 200 kindergartners). This year I also supplied several Habitat for Humanity families with 150 backpacks filled with school supplies. In addition to the school supplies, Project KINDNESS has collected and delivered hundreds of toys to All Children's Hospital in St. Pete, Florida