We have such an amazing group of youth on our Kidzz Helping Kidzz Advisory Board! They are unstoppable in their civic leadership as they strive to make a difference for kids in need.
Each month we are featuring one child as a “Rising Star”. For May, our Kidzz Helping Kidzz Rising Star award goes to Zach Darner.
On Friday, May 19, Zach was recognized by the Kitsap Community Foundation for his amazing leadership with Kidzz Helping Kidzz! His award is actually called the Rising Star Youth award! Here is a short video of the slide presentation.
Zach’s passion for helping kids at bedside in the hospital was the impetus for our first toy drive in 2016 and later led to Kidzz Helping Kidzz forming as a youth-led nonprofit organization.
Thanks to Zach’s passion and leadership, Kidzz Helping Kidzz has donated 30,000 toys to ill children in the hospital during the Christmas holiday season. Zach, we thank you for your commitment to improving the lives of other kids in need!
May has been an exciting month for us! The Kidzz Helping Kidzz Advisory Board has been working hard on preventing food insecurity for families in need.
On Thursday, May 25 we packed bags of food for the Central Kitsap Food Backpacks 4 Kids program. Similar to the Bremerton Backpack Brigade that we assist, the Central Kitsap Food Backpacks 4 Kids is a new program for us.
They provide supplemental meals each weekend during the school year to students and families of the Central Kitsap School District who suffer from food insecurity.
The Central Kitsap Food Backpacks 4 Kids program sends home over 6,000 supplemental meals to low income families in need during a school year. Within the Central Kitsap School District, the Central Kitsap Food Backpacks 4 Kids program helps feed kids who attend 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and one secondary school by sending home approximately 310 bags to families.
Today, our Advisory Board of Kidzz Helping Kidzz packed 310 bags filled with food. Food is donated by individuals and organizations in the community. All of the schools that receive bags of food participate in food drives.
The youth from our Kidzz Helping Kidzz Advisory Board packed the bags with kid friendly donations, canned fruits and vegetables, beans, juice, peanut butter and more. Each week the food is packed by volunteers and delivered to the schools on Friday morning so the family has food for the weekend.
We are grateful for the Central Kitsap Central Kitsap Backpack 4 Kids program. Please visit their website at www.ckfoodbackpacks4kids.com to help feed hungry families within the Central Kitsap School District.
This week we received a donation of 254 large stuffed animals for our 2023 toy drive. The amazing kids from our Advisory Board came together during Memorial Day weekend to count, sort, label and bag up the toys for delivery to the Hospitals on Thursday, December 21. (Can you believe we already have a date confirmed for our toy delivery to the Hospitals?)
Each toy is labeled with our Kidzz Helping Kidzz label. This allows the children who receive the toys to learn about our youth-led nonprofit charity organization and the amazing work that we do.
We also have just created a label that has a QR code that will allow toy recipients to “share their story” as they receive their special toy.
Because of HIPPA privacy laws, we are unable to see the joy that the ill children at bedside experience when receiving the new toys.
However, we have received thank you cards from the families who received these toys as well as Medical Professionals who have observed the impact of the toys on their patients. Some quotes from these cards are as follows:
“Maia - My kids had to go to the ER today. As they were leaving, they each got a KHK toy. The entire trip to the ER took on a different feel. The kids were surprised and delighted and are still playing with their toys. What a great difference you are making!
“ED staff at St. Michael Medical Center - “Thank you with providing our ED with Holiday cheer all year round”. It is such a blessing to bring give your toys to sick kids and see them light up with joy”
“Mrs. Johnson - My grandson is very ill and he had the biggest smile when playing with the Legos. Your toy drive has made such a difference for our family. Thank you for your generosity”.
These quotes suggest that the Kidzz Helping Kidzz toy drive is providing needed hope, joy and inspiration to ill children in need.
Please consider supporting our 2023 toy drive. You can donate new, unused toys all year round, volunteer your time, and/or send a check!
Thank you!
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