Project Change

People

Benefiting: Ronald McDonald House

It is amazing how much little things (rice krispies, felt, scissors, some Clorox wipes) can make a big difference. 22 middle school students decided to devote our first project to Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City. We began by making 50 blankets for the children who stay at the house. We know how important a blanket is to a kid. Our team chose cloth that we believed would bring joy and warmth to the kids in the hospital and make it feel a little more like home. While we where there delivering the blankets we thought we would see what little things we could do to help out. We disinfected toys so kids could play without getting sick, restocked and cleaned the laundry rooms and kitchen, and made snacks for families to take to the hospital. While it seems little, when you are far away from home with a sick child in the hospital, a place to wash your clothes, food to eat, a kitchen to cook in and toys for your children to play with can make life much easier. One of our 12 year olds, Lilly Rider, offers this report of the day.

“Ronald McDonald is a great organization where families can come and stay while their child is sick and staying at Children’s Mercy Hospital. It gives them a place to sleep, eat and relax. When we went to Ronald McDonald they split us into groups and we did different things to help around the “House”. One group worked in the kitchen and cleaned up, so it was clean and neat for the people who came to eat or cook. They also made treats like snack bags and Rice Krispy Treats. These treats are for the siblings to be able to grab something to eat if they are going over to the hospital. A few other groups cleaned up around the house. One group went around and cleaned the toys and sanitized the items that the children use. Another group cleaned the laundry rooms and re-supplied them with cleaning and hygienic items. This group also swept and mopped the rooms. Our group worked very hard and did make a difference. Even some of the things which seemed little made a big difference in the lives of the families we met.”

Places

Benefiting: Synergy Services

Saint Andrew’s high school team decided to serve Synergy Services homeless teen program for our second project. Synergy Services meet a variety of needs throughout the Kansas City Metro area, including: shelters for abused women and children, homeless teen shelters, and educational programs on dating violence.

The Saint Andrew Youth Group began our connection with them by hosting a One Homeless Night. We spent the night outside in cardboard boxes on a cold night, learned about homelessness among teenagers in Kansas City, and gathered donations. This helped raise awareness about teen homeless, as well as, provide money for the construction of a new teen shelter and Resiliency center. We completed our project with Synergy by going out to visit the new Synergy Homeless Youth Campus, which our fundraising had helped to build. We made blankets to take on our visit that could be given to the residents, or taken out on one of the “street team” vans to teenagers still on the street. We also made and brought a spaghetti dinner, salad, bread, and dessert that we would give to the staff and residents, who normally have to fix their own meals. After dropping off the meal, we were given a tour. Synergy’s new teen shelter nearly doubles the space of their old facility. Also included in the Synergy Youth Campus is the Teen Resiliency Center. The Resiliency Center offers services such as: showers, lockers, access to a kitchen, mental health counseling, medical and dental care, life-skills training, a computer lab, and access to a gymnasium, for any homeless teenager.

"It is absolutely amazing that just one organization is able to meet the needs of so many, especially those who suffer to meet their daily needs. We were honored and humbled to be able to do our small part to make a difference with them. We have learned so much about the problems of homelessness for teenagers throughout our project."
- Alexx Burnside, teenager on the Saint Andrew Youth Team 

More for Less!

Benefiting: Project Change

One of the biggest problems families living in poverty face is unhealthy diets resulting from a low budget. It's hard for these families to afford a healthy, nutritious diet. As I prepare to study Nutrition in college, I decided to find a solution to this health concern. I worked with a Nutritionist at a local HyVee to plan meals that meet all dietary needs for the lowest cost we could find. I planned three meals for a week, with snacks in between. I arranged this plan around my goal of about $5 for each meal, feeding a family of four. I hope to distribute these meal plans to local homeless shelters, food banks, and grocery stores, making it available to families of all different incomes who just hope to eat healthier for less.