Dear Kid President

Dear Kid President,

Challenge accepted! Back in "Sock"tober, you challenged the nation with three questions...

1. What can you not live with?
2. What do you have?

3. What are you going to do about it?

Well...as I started to think about it, I knew I couldn't live with how much homelessness was affecting children in my state (research shows approximately 4 out of 10 adults have children with them). That's heart breaking! I'm a (fairly) new momma and a teacher of many...so this one hit a little too close to home for me, knowing that sometimes, the kids couldn't help what environment they were in.

As a result, I went to what I had...31 students. This, plus a Partner-in-Crime teacher that added her 30...61 kids and a willing friend are definitely a lot to have in this situation. :) From there, they went to what they had...guardians, neighbors, and friends that travel for business. We talked to coworkers and put notices in our class newsletters...

And we all decided together, what we were going to do about it. Our 61 fourth graders researched which homeless shelters allowed children to stay or participate in their programming, in our area. Out of three, they discussed and voted on a specific center that they felt we had to help...had to support...and to encourage those kids.

Brainstorming ideas was easy...looking at the wish list, they knew that the traveling adults in their lives could provide us with enough items to create hygiene kits for the kiddos in need. But they took it further...everyone wants something of their very own. Whether you can afford it or not. Whether your situation is in your control or not. Whether you are a kid or not...to have your own possession makes a difference in many people's lives and esteems. Our students helped us decide that they wanted to also give the comfort of warmth in their possession - they made t-shirt pillows and fleece tie blankets. Many of our students owned these themselves, and they wanted to make their donation personal. Our goal? 50 kits...not even a kit per student...and maybe 10 blankets and 10 to 20 pillows...no problem, right?

Very right. Our students have currently put together 115+ kits (still counting), 20+ blankets (a few more to tie), and 50+ pillows (about 10 left to stuff and sew)...they BLEW ME AWAY. The hearts of our students and their parents were so big, that I had tears in my eyes most of the time. These kiddos so close to my heart, now want to develop programs and volunteer and reach out past their own classroom bubble and see what they can do to make life better.

KP...this is where the kiddos initiated their own challenge to me. If we reached our goal, I said I would try to contact you. Can we Facetime? Can we Skype? Can we chat and get words of wisdom from you? COULD YOU STOP BY FOR A VISIT??? 

You are inspiring a whole generation of fourth graders who are ready to change the world...shoot, you've inspired a whole generation of fourth grade TEACHERS who cannot wait to HELP their kids change the world. (We know based on your 2014 wrap up, that it was a top event that you graduated fourth grade!!! It's a tough one. ;))

Help me out Kid President...the invitation is open to come visit Mrs. Brown's 4th grade classroom at Geist Elementary. #huggersgonnahug #bemoreawesome