Giving back to my community is something that I need to start doing a lot more of. My family and I live a fairly comfortable life, and while money is tight we always have what we need. I know that I’ve been guilty of taking what I have for granted, so when the opportunity to work with Colgate and Champions For Kids came along I HAD to jump on it! For those of you who don’t know, Champions For Kids is an amazing nationwide organization working to bring necessities to children in need through Simple service projects. These are small acts of kindness that anyone can do like giving art supplies to a classroom or donating cereal to a local food pantry. They seem small, but they have a BIG impact.
For my #Colgate4Kids Simple Service Project I donated dental care products to the Washington Center, a school for severely mentally and physically disabled children from low income families. The Washington Center relies partly on funding from the public school system and partly on private donations, but it isn’t always enough. My sister is a Para Pro educator at this school, and when she heard I was looking for a deserving charity to give toothbrushes to she immediately told me of their need. Most of the kids lack the ability to perform basic functions like dressing themselves, feeding themselves and even brushing their own teeth. The teachers routinely buy a toothbrush for each child to keep in the classroom so they can brush their teeth each day, and with this coming out of their own pockets the cost can really add up.
It feels great to be able to do a small part to help these kids (and teachers) by providing oral care packs for an entire classroom. I picked up my donation supplies at Walmart and was able to get enough to give 15 toothbrush/toothpaste sets. I didn’t know what the kids were allowed to have so I kept it simple by tying a cute bow around the packs and also got some plain toothpaste for them to keep as extra in case they run out.
Judah is a little too young to understand what we were doing, but once we got to the school I let him give our donation to the teacher. We weren’t allowed to go inside for security reasons but I was able to snap some pictures outside. She was so happy to see us and assured me that the toothbrushes would be put to good use!
This was a fantastic project to be a part of, and while I couldn’t give much I know that I helped fill a child’s need. Not having access to necessities like a toothbrush and toothpaste sets youngsters up for a lifelong battle with dental problems, most of which require costly repairs that they will never be able to get. With the help of Colgate, Champions For Kids and people like you and me we can help ensure that more children have brighter smiles and brighter futures than ever before!
Do you want to get involved?
Throughout the month of March you can perform your own Simple Service Project by donating Colgate products to the charity of your choice. Visit Champions For kids to find out more and get started on your project! If you can’t make it this month don’t worry, they pick a new project each month! You can keep up with their latest news and stay in the know on their Facebook page as well.
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® Colgate and Champions for Kids #cbias #SocialFabric #Colgate4Kids
[…] Jessica felt that giving back to her community is something that she needs to start doing more of. She donated to the Washinton Center, a school for severely mentally and physically disabled children from low income families. Teachers routinely buy a toothbrush for each child in the classroom to keep and this can really add up. To read more about how her act of kindness, click here. […]