Fall 2007, Volume 11 Number 3

Table of Contents

In the past, we could only report the progress made through a narrow prism that included only what we saw and how we perceived the results. While we always strove to report what we knew to be true and factual, we never had any “outside” source take a close look at what problems students and teachers face in conducting year end programs to help the “needy.”

Teaching Tolerance Magazine (www.teachingtolerance.org) in their Fall 2007 issue which is distributed to 600,000 educators took a deep look at the “annual” canned food drives that many schools conduct at this time of the year. In the article, they asked teachers to go beyond the typical drive and to “turn charity into service-learning, allowing students to examine the root causes of poverty and better understand the human beings who experience it.”

The author, Brandi Neal, in her article, Beyond The Canned Food Drive, described Kids Can Make A Difference as a program that goes beyond just the everyday approach taken in most schools. She said, “While holiday food drives are well intentioned and usually meet a community need, they also can be problematic. Too often, holiday drives include little education about the root causes of poverty and almost no interaction between students and the community their donations are intended to help.” She goes on to describe how programs of this nature can be detrimental, as students “(1) can miss out on a chance to learn about social and economic structures under which everyone lives and (2) can reinforce negative stereotypes about poverty.” 

“A program called Kids Can make A Difference, also known simply as KIDS, turns this equation on its head. The KIDS curriculum provides lesson plans that examine the underpinnings of hunger and poverty, followed by age-appropriate community service activities. The program encourages children to talk about hunger in their own communities, teach their families and friends what they’ve learned, and organize workshops for other classrooms and schools.” [To read the entire article, go to www.kidscanmakeadifference.org].

The result for KIDS was twofold: greater interest in the program and a tremendous increase in sales of Finding Solutions To Hunger: Kids Can make A Difference. In the first three weeks after publication over 100 teacher guides were ordered by readers of the magazine. Never in our history have we sold that number of guides in such a short period of time.

With accolades like that, it would be easy for us to sit back and say, “Look at what we accomplished.” But that is not for us! We ask ourselves (and our Advisory Board Members) “What more needs to be done.” Now we ask you to ponder this question and let us have your thoughts, so that we maximize the “good press” afforded us by Teaching Tolerance magazine.

In addition to your thoughts, we need your financial support. As most of you are aware, you are the fuel that drives this program. Nearly 100% of the money raised through individuals and receipts from the sale of the Teacher Guide get “plowed” right back into the program.  Rising costs of producing and shipping the Teacher Guide resulted in an increase in both. We need you more than ever, just to deliver all the services KIDS provides today.

Take this newsletter for example.  We mail roughly 2,000 issues to readers three times a year. We get many comments from readers about how much they enjoy the publication and for us “to keep up the good work.” While comments like this are appreciated, they do not contribute to defraying the costs involved in printing and mailing the publication. A very small percentage of our readers actually take that extra step by making a contribution to insure the life of the publication. Unlike NPR and PBS we never reach out to corporations for sponsorship—we count on YOU!

Now is the time for YOU to show your support for KIDS. It is time for YOU to get up and go to your desk and write that check to KIDS before other things in your life demand your attention. KIDS (while a program of WHY) is truly a grass roots movement and dependent upon your ongoing support.

Keep in mind that a gift of only $15 will help cover the cost bringing you three issues a year.  Hopefully, this will allow everyone of our loyal readers to be active supporters of KIDS.

Oh yes, if the mood strikes you, contributions in higher amounts will help and are greatly appreciated.

© Copyright 1999, Kids Can Make A Difference