Passing Kindness On, One Act at a Time
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WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO - 2009
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The first through third graders who attend the ACHIEVE Mentoring Program at Keeling Elementary were the recipients of our Kindness Gift Giving Program on January 7. The children had great ideas of ways to pass on kindness during the interactive talk. When it was explained how we were passing on kindness to them, they were very excited to hear we had clothing, although there was disappointment that we didn't have any boys shoes. One girl commented, "It's like going shopping" as she held up a dress that she liked, while another girl happily sat on the floor arranging school supplies in her new backpack.
It was a very busy afternoon at the Giving Tree Homeless Feeding Program when we brought our program there on January 25! The line never seemed to end as 175 children received the toy packages, books, stuffed animals, school supplies, snacks, toothbrushes, toiletry packages and other miscellaneous items we had to offer. As we were setting up, a little boy stopped by and asked, "Is all this for us?" Upon hearing it was, he replied, "Thank you. I don't have any toys." When it was time for the "free raffles" to begin, the children anxiously waited for their number to be called. Each winning number resulted in a very happy and excited face!
It was a beautiful day as we joined the birthday celebration of the Children's Peace Garden in Manuel Herrera, Jr. Park on February 7. Many of the children who attended the celebration helped create and continue to work on this garden, which is in an area that was once a hangout for drug addicts. As often happens, volunteers were touched as we watched some of the older children choose a gift package for one of their young siblings rather than for themselves. Requests for the Arizona Cardinal kept our volunteer face painter very busy, and an 11 lb. bar of chocolate was a popular attraction as the children put on their goggles and "mined for chocolate" to break off a piece!
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| Looking for the right package |
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| Loaded up with "cool" stuff |
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| Something looks good! |
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On February 21, refugees from several different countries were the recipients of our Kindness Gift Giving Program at the International Rescue Committee. Our kindness talk was delivered in English, Arabic and French, and a popular kindness idea from several of the children involved translating for someone who needed help understanding English. The families were very grateful for everything we gave the children, most especially the clothing, backpacks, school supplies and books. One Iraqi girl found so many books she wanted to read that she ended up with 14 of them!
The 6th to 8th grade students that attend Joyce M. Drake Alternative School have many difficult challenges in their lives. When we visited their school on March 3, the children entered the room looking as if they had the weight of the world on their shoulders. There was a dramatic change during our program as the stoic and solemn faces became excited and happy! Students on the basketball team quickly grabbed up the basketball gift packages we offered. Staff at the school were happy to see smiles on the face of one of the girls that they had never seen smile before. The winner of the Ipod Shuffle raffle item was extremely happy!
We were thrilled to have 10 students from Drake Alternative School volunteer with us at Southside Community School on March 24. Having been the recipients of our Kindness Gift Giving Program on March 3, the students from Drake had a fun time passing on kindness to the Southside Community students. Books were a big hit as was the iPod Shuffle raffle prize. We received a loud shout of "thank you" from the children as our program came to an end.
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| Cute face painting on cute faces! |
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| Hard to decide! |
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| Books were very popular! |
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It was a smaller than expected group at the Happy Hours After School Program at Blenman Elementary School when we brought our Kindness Gift Giving Program there on April 1. The children were very interactive with their thoughts and ideas during the discussion of acceptance of others and ways of passing on kindness. As sometimes happens, one of the children had a very hard time deciding on which kindness package to take since there were so many to choose from!
Our annual visit to the TROT (Therapeutic Riding of Tucson) Family Day on April 18 gave the children there an extra reason to smile! One little girl was very happy to be able to take as many books as she wanted, and walked away with so many that they kept falling out of her arms! Our volunteers were very impressed as some of the students happily showed off the medals they had just received for their hard work with this wonderful therapy.
There were big smiles on the faces of the children who attend the Pascua Yaqui Healthy Families Program as they saw everything we had for them on May 16. Zoe Hart, one of our youngest volunteers, handed out paper flowers that she had colored and brought for the children. There was a lot of excitement as we told the children they could take as many books as they wanted, with 583 given out! The families were also grateful for the clothing we had to offer. Wearing jeans at the time that were so big they were almost falling off of her, one of the moms found several pairs for herself as well as for her daughter. After finding the jeans, the mom hugged her daughter and told her that "now they had new jeans." A brand new tricycle was a very popular raffle item, with big smiles from the brother and sister who won it!
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| Luis had many to choose from! |
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| Having fun at TROT |
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| Happy Raffle Winner |
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The Shyann Kindness Project once again partnered with Tucson Starbucks to bring our Kindness Gift Giving Program to St. Andrew's Clinica for Children with Special Needs on June 4. Baked goods and drinks provided by Starbucks partners and TSKP volunteers, along with ice cream donated by Schwan's, brought big smiles to the children's faces on this hot day! In addition to toys, books, snacks, toothbrushes and other items, children in wheelchairs received beautiful handmade quilts and pillows. Volunteers made it a fun day for the children with face painting, temporary tattoos, bubbles, silly string, water fights and chalk drawing.
Volunteers took shifts from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. at Tucson Medical Center's Children's Emergency Center on June 20. TSKP volunteers were able to calm down many "tearful" patients with the toy packages, books and snacks the children were able to choose. Siblings also received packages, books and snacks to keep them occupied and relieve the stress they felt while they waited for their brother or sister. In addition, volunteers had fun taking turns playing Candy Land with siblings who were waiting especially long. One of our volunteers was surprised to see a little boy walk in carrying a stuffed dinosaur that he had received from TSKP on Christmas Eve!
The children attending the summer program at Mulcahy YMCA were very curious about what was going on as we started unloading everything we had brought for them on July 8. During the interactive kindness talk, one boy's idea of a kindness was to give something to his brother. He had a big smile on his face when he won a remote ATV raffle prize, and told one of our volunteers that he was going to give his prize to his brother! The children were excited to hear that we had books and that they could take as many as they would like. There were a lot of thankful hugs given to our volunteers, along with a song sung to us by the children at the end of the program.
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| Future Firefighter! |
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| Being kept occupied with Candy Land! |
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| That's a lot to carry! |
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Big smiles came to the faces of the children who came to CCRS (Children's Clinics for Rehabilitative Services) on July 20 as they came into the room where The Shyann Kindness Project was set up. Kindness was passed on from one brother to his sister as he helped her choose her toys since she was having a hard time deciding. The children who come to this clinic face many physical challenges, and we're always happy to be able to brighten up their day!
It was a busy night as we once again partnered with Starbucks to bring our backpack night to the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association's National Night Out on August 4. Parents were very grateful for the backpacks and school supplies their children received, enabling them to start school with the tools they need. Over 750 books were given out to the children, and our "free raffle" prizes included two donated iPod Shuffles. Face painting and silly string added to the fun night!
The children who attended the Higher Ground After School Program were pleasantly surprised when they entered the room where we were set up on September 2. One young girl who kept raising her hand with kindness ideas during the discussion told a volunteer that her ideas came from things she already does....wow! As so often happens, a brother passed on kindness to his sister by immediately giving her the prize he won during our "free raffles." We were very happy to have six students from Pima Partnership High School volunteer with us as we gave out "Shyann Kindness Project" coloring books that were created by two of the students.
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| Fernando likes his new quilt! |
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| Busy Backpack Night! |
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| Checking out their "goodies" |
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We brought our Kindness Gift Giving Program to the Teenage Parent Program (TAPP) at Sunnyside High School on September 23. The students that attended this program were very happy to receive gift packages for themselves as well as their children. One of our volunteers encouraged and inspired the girls as she shared her own story of becoming a teenage mom, and how she finished school and now owns her own business. We were told the moms who had their children with them were reading the books they had received to their children during lunch, and that after we left, the students were talking about how much fun they had and what they had received for their children.
Seven classes at Mission View Elementary, a school where 97% of the children qualify for free lunch, were the recipients of our Kindness Gift Giving Program on October 23. There were "oohs" and "ahhs" from the children each time we uncovered a table to show them what they would be getting as our way of passing on kindness to them. A very popular kindness idea from the children during the interactive discussion was to give someone a hug. Teachers also chose gift packages to be given to the children who were supposed to attend the event but were out sick that day.
The children who receive homework help at the ASPIRE After School Program kept peeking into the room as we were setting up on October 28. Helping to translate for someone else was a kindness idea from one of the children, most of whom were refugees. Comments made during the "free raffle" part of the program sparked new kindness ideas shared by staff and volunteers. The children were thrilled that we had clothing and big bottles of shampoo for them, with videos also being very popular. Backpacks were given to the children who did not have one in addition to the school supplies offered to all.
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| Checking out the package |
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| Picking out books |
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| Choosing school supplies |
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A different group of children attending the ACHIEVE After School Program at Keeling Elementary were the receipients of our Kindness Gift Giving Program on November 18. The children had so many ideas of ways to be kind that they began sharing them even before they were asked to! A comment from one of the teachers let us know we were there at just the right time, as she told us many of the children attending our program would not be getting anything for Christmas. We were touched to hear one of the boys exclaim, "This is the greatest day ever!!"
The children who attended the Salvation Army Program for their Thanksgiving meal were happy to see The Shyann Kindness Project there with toy packages, books, school supplies, kindness coloring books, toothbrushes and snacks! While getting photo permission, one woman asked our volunteer if she could get a copy of the picture that was being taken. She explained that she was in the process of adopting her five grandchildren, and would like the picture to add to a wall she was making of special memories because we made it a special day for them. The smiles on the faces of the children said it all!
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| Lots of kindness ideas! |
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| A Happy Family! |
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Our third annual Christmas party in partnership with Starbucks was held on December 18 for children in the Amphitheater School District. Staff in the district were asked to identify the neediest children who would not be receiving services for the holidays from any other organizations, and 265 children were invited along with their parents.
In addition to pizza, desserts, music, face painting, balloon art and visits with Santa, professional illusionists Sarlot & Eyed treated the families to a fun magic show. The children received gift packages, books, videos, new socks, toiletries and other items. We were also able to offer the families clothing, household goods and Christmas decorations thanks to generous donations.
Our Christmas Eve tradition continued as volunteers took shifts from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. at TMC's Children's Emergency Center on December 24. Gift packages, books and snacks were given to children who came in as patients as well as their siblings. Although it was a slow day at the Emergency Center, the children who came in felt just a bit better after receiving their gift packages and books. One young patient felt so comfortable with two of our young volunteers that he tried to follow them as they were leaving after their shift was over!
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| Pictures with Santa |
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| Fun Balloons |
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| Feeling Better with a Care Bear |
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