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They assembled family hygiene kits, which will replenish stocks used during Typhoon Haiyan and other recent emergencies.
Working in multi-age “buddy” teams, the students put together kits that are designed to have all of the personal care items a family of four need while they are displaced – soap, shampoo, towels, etc. The kits will be kept in the AmeriCares warehouse in Stamford and distributed to disaster survivors in the U.S. and around the world after tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and other emergencies.
“Personal care items are particularly important for people displaced by major emergencies,” said AmeriCares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia. “We keep hundreds of these family emergency kits pre-positioned in our warehouse so we are ready to respond the moment disaster strikes.”
The students raised more than $4,000 through various on-campus fundraisers including a bake sale, dress down days, Bingo for AmeriCares and a contribution from the NCCS Kiva Club to purchase supplies. Earlier in the fall, the students heard from representatives from AmeriCares about the work the organization does.
“It’s important to keep students connected to causes over an extended period of time,” said Director of Community Development Lynn Sullivan.
Since joining the school this fall, Sullivan has begun to shift the focus of the school’s outreach from community service to a service learning approach. Service learning requires long-term partnerships and applies academic and organizational skills to public service outcomes.
Established in 1982, AmeriCares is a nonprofit global health and disaster relief organization that delivers medicines, medical supplies and aid to people in need around the world and across the United States.
For more information, visit americares.org.
New Canaan Country School is an independent day school serving children from preschool through Grade 9.
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