2023

MLK DAY SERVICE - SANDWICH MAKING: JANUARY 16, 2023

We had a total of 73 volunteers of all ages serving together to make sandwiches for those facing hunger in Cobb County. What better way to honor the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. then to unite and serve together for the betterment of our community.

We are proud to say that we donated a total of 301 ham & cheese sandwiches to The Sandwich Project & The Salvation Army Marietta Corps. Volunteers also donated 3 bags of fresh fruit. These volunteers were so efficient that they finished the goal of 300 sandwiches in about 40 minutes! I believe if we had the supplies they could have made a 1000 sandwiches easy! And THEY HAD FUN!!

There is something special about serving and doing good for someone else that makes a person feel light, fulfilled and happy. Sharing that feeling with others is a great Joy. It's amazing how light work is when many hands help do the lifting.

It was a special day and we are so proud and grateful for all those who served with us. Thank you to our volunteers who also helped us celebrate KIDS CARE 4th birthday of being a nonprofit! And from the feedback we got from our volunteers --we will be serving again in some fashion on MLK Day next year. It sure feels extra special and magical when serving in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 's Spirit.

Thank you to The Sandwich Project ATL for your guidance on the sandwich making process and transporting the sandwiches. Thank you to Adventure Air for sponsoring us a room free of charge for us to host our MLK Day service experience in. We are grateful for our new connections and for the support. WATCH THIS FACEBOOK VIDEO ON HOW MUCH MEAT, CHEESE & BREAD WE BOUGHT: https://fb.watch/kTJEBZD6Qr/ and this video below on the day of service.

sidewalk chalk love for seniors: march 10, 2023

Our goal: bring Happiness to local Seniors. KIDS CARE had 25 Volunteers who gathered together on 3/10 at Sterling Estates of West Cobb to beautify the sidewalks for the senior residents to enjoy. And that they did!!

(KIDS) Kindness In Doing Service

(CARE) Connecting And Respecting Everyone

We care. We connect. We give. We love. We create kindness. TOGETHER - We are a loving and caring community.

The moments of connection with the senior residents at our sidewalk chalk experience was a beautiful gift. Seeing their happy & grateful smiles glowing in their eyes will always be cherished.

KIDS CARE VOLUNTEERS CREATING KINDNESS WITH CHALK!! Take a look at these ARTISTS in ACTION! They were so amazing! And a sped up walking view of ALL the wonderful sidewalk chalk happiness that our volunteers left for the seniors at Sterling Estates of West Cobb last Friday. Hope it leaves ya smiling too!

national YOuth Leadership Council Service Day: April 5, 2023

Loved being a part of the massive service day with around 100 volunteers. Hosted by the National Youth Leadership Council. This event was the last day of our participation at the National Service Learning Conference in Nashville, TN.

Volunteers knocked out multiple jobs at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center & Greenway preserve in Nashville. Mulching, digging, sanding, painting, trash picking, pruning, dusting the interior... it all got done!

*Special THANKS to Jaida for intuitively replanting those baby plants back into Mother Earth! #loveearth

Different location same trash: plastic bottles, cigarette butts, dog poop bags, straws, bottle caps, styrofoam, tennis/golf balls, streamers/confetti, plastic bags, sunglasses, microplastics.. the list goes on. New find...a belt...what?!

Lets all help get the #garbage out of our Earth. Helping Earth is ALWAYS a priority for us. How about you? Do you have a Trash Eye? Are you looking? Are you helping?

kindness cards with the national youth leadership council: april 5, 2023

On 4/5 we delivered 115 Kindness Cards to first responders who responded to the school shooting at Covenant School in Nashville TN. The card collection was led by KIDS CARE with the support of the National Youth Leadership Council and Laurel Springs School. The handmade cards were created by the heartfelt attendants at the National Service Learning Conference we attended in Nashville, a short 20 minutes from the Covenant School. Gratitude, Sympathy, Support, Kindness and BIG Love was transferred from our hearts to theirs via handwritten words, pictures and metal angel charms placed in the cards.

The Delivery Story...

Our first stop was to Nashville Fire Department Station 20, which has Covenant School in its back yard. They were kind enough to open the door quickly for us as we were running across the lawn caught in a thunderstorm while trying to protect the cards. When she opened the door she said "Well this must be important". Yes it was. We were humbled to get to hand the "firefighter cards" directly to a Firefighter who responded to the shooting. We spent a few minutes talking and listening about how many people they knew who responded to the call and how hard it was on all of them.

They also house EMS responders in their dept & we were pleased to leave the "EMS cards" with them. After speaking with them & hearing how many people they knew who responded we decided to leave the "911 & hospital staff cards" with them. They knew exactly who those cards should go to and were happy to hand them out to those who fielded the 911 calls and tended to the victims at the hospitals.

The kind responders at the fire dept directed us to the Midtown Hills Precinct - Metropolitan Nashville Police Department which had a heavy officer response to the shooting. We got there right when it closed and we couldn't get in. We generally believe that we are in the right spot at the right time and we were grateful when we noticed a worker walk out of a side door of the building.

Standing in the parking lot, we introduced ourselves and explained what we were doing. We asked if we could leave the cards with him for the responding officers. He was an officer in street clothes. After speaking with him for a while we learned that he also responded that day & he knew many who did. It was humbling to shake his hand, tell him thank you and offer our support and sympathy. We gave him the "police cards" & he said he was happy to get to hand those out to people he knew who responded to the shooting and could use the pick me up of the Kindness Cards. He was very grateful for the love and support which they have received from the community. (They have a video on their page where you can see our "We Care" sign hanging up at their precinct along with other love they have received).

The cards definitely got into the right hands & we are confident that they reached their hearts! The personal words that were directed into the cards were full of emotional support, acknowledgment and Love. Thanks to all who helped us reach 115 Nashville First Responders!

VOLUNTEERING AT KEEP COBB BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY RECYCLING DAY: APRIL 15, 2023

KIDS CARE volunteers were one part of a large #communityeffort to support Keep Cobb Beautiful at their spring recycling event.

"With volunteers like you giving your time, positive attitude & physical service our community is way more beautiful. Every time I witness volunteers come together for the betterment of other people &/or our environment - I see the beauty of human hearts. No matter what type of Giving it is." -Amie Burke

#ourvolunteers

On another note....#consumerism. We all need to take a hard look at what & how much we are purchasing. This video is only showing a snippet of what was responsibly being recycled this day. In one county.

#responsibleconsumerism

lITTER PICK UP, PLAY & pLAY: mAY 19, 2023

Not our trash but our world. These kids & families so have the "TRASH EYE". They see it all!

The usual #trashtalk = #plasticstraws, straw wrappers, #plasticbottles, bottle caps, #plasticbags, plastic cutlery, chip bags, fast food bags, styrofoam, metal, microplastics, confetti, twine, twisty ties, #plastictree parts, cigarette butts, balloons, aluminum cans, toys, glass bottles, bean bag & candy wrappers.

Picking up small trash is equally as important as picking up large litter. All items breakdown into smaller pieces which contaminate our soil and water. Microplastics are mistaken for food by wildlife which ultimately can kill them.

I'm so proud of our volunteers for stopping to get all the hard pieces. #microplastics are not easy to pick up. Once you see it you can't stop seeing it. Great job volunteers! #trasheye

We also took 20 mins to talk about #greenwashing as well. When companies purposefully use nature scenes or words on their packaging to entice you into thinking they are a green company . #conciousconsumer

WATCH FACEBOOK VIDEO OF YOUTH PLANNING RESULTS: https://fb.watch/kTMCMQ8bYK/

KINDNESS CARDS FOR BACKPACKS: jUNE 3, 2023

Thank you to the Kennesaw community for shining your light when we asked. All collected Kindness Cards will be put in backpacks full of school supplies that we will donate to students in need of assistance for the upcoming school year. WE NEED HELP CREATING MORE! CAN YOU HELP US BY JULY 28TH?

HELPING STARTED 6/3/23 & ONGOING

"Backing the need" backpack & school supply drive: jUly 29, 2023

FINAL COUNT: 755 New Backpacks with School Supplies collected & delivered in Cobb County!! Thank you to the @cobbpolicedept for partnering with us on our 2023 "Backing the Need" Backpack and School Supply Drive.

HUGE THANKS to The Champion Firm for sponsoring & supporting KIDS CARE youth volunteers' goal of 750 bags! With your generosity & determination we were able to meet & pass their big hearted goal!

Months worth of personal hardwork, volunteers hard work & continuous generosity from our community has Created an enormous (& important) impact on our community. Investing in local children always brightens ALL of our futures. Thank you to each person who helped make this happen. We appreciate you!

We are overjoyed to report that we collected and gave an estimated value of $55,479.44 worth of backpacks and school supplies to Cobb County students in need of assistance. THANK YOU to our generous community of locals and out of state donors (friends & family) for trusting us to deliver your Kindness & Generosity! Simply Amazing to witness the Love & Commitment from those connected with KIDS CARE. WE WHOLE HEARTEDLY THANK YOU! 💝

⭐In early August, 755 Backpacks with School Supplies were delivered to the following fantastic & local nonprofits who support our local youth and families in many vital ways. (If you have not heard of them please take time to learn about the incredible ways they have and continue to serve our community.) Our 2023 "Backing the Need" Backpacks with School Supplies were delivered to:

350 🎒Communities In Schools of Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County, Inc. (www.cismcc.org/)

125 🎒Ser Familia, Inc Kennesaw (www.serfamilia.org/)

60 🎒The Center for Family Resources (www.thecfr.org/)

55 🎒LiveSafe Resources (www.livesaferesources.org/)

50 🎒Simple Needs GA, Inc. (www.simpleneedsgablog.com/)

50 🎒Misc. Deliveries (info available upon request)

20 🎒The Center for Children & Young Adults

(www.ccyakids.org/)

45🎒Tu Iglesia Hispana (Church in Marietta) (www.tuiglesiahispana.com/)

💫Not shown here are the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of in-kind donations we received and purchased with donated money. Pens, pencils, erasers, glue sticks, markers, crayons, paper, folders, composition notebooks, calculators, highlighters, rulers, colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, scissors, notebooks, USB drives, hand sanitizer, protractors, art supplies, binders, dividers, backpacks and the list goes on!!!!

We truly achieved a dream goal this year. It took time (a lot of time), money, determination, hard work, fortitude, community, generosity, compassion, kindness, service and prayers answered to distribute the large amount of Love that our kid volunteers envisioned. That is a wrap for this 2023 "Backing the Need" mission!

💙THANK YOU TO Cobb County Police Department for joining with us on this journey. We are grateful for your participation and community support over the past three years!

💚FINAL THANK YOU TO ALL DONORS, VOLUNTEERS & SUPPORTORS - we feel your Love & Kindness. THANK YOU.

HELPING COMPLETED 8/16/2023

service through theater: jUly 31, 2023

Some of our youth volunteers practiced for 5 weeks to deliver a handmade theater skit to seniors at Sterling Estates of West Cobb. All in the name of Joy! They delivered two great shows then connect with the seniors afterwards with a Q&A of the cast.

Here is Atlanta News First Coverage of our service: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/07/31/fulton-co-high-school-senior-brings-free-theater-classes-local-youth/?fbclid=IwAR2Rx3QfvkBEX6mUvk8FORG8tjn2BXAAnB6v3Hf9amnxFDuAdxlutlhN1XM

HELPING COMPLETED 7/31/2023

tEACHER SUPPLY DRIVE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Did you know last year teachers spent an average of $820.14 out of pocket to purchase classroom school supplies?

In an effort to help support local teachers we partnered up with Cobb County District Two Commissioner Jerica Richardson for the month of August to gather donations.

We gathered up a large car full of hand sanitizer, chlorox wipes, tissues, dry erase markers, sharpies, paper, pencils, staplers, tape and much more.

All Donations were gifted to Cobb Schools Foundation. This nonprofit has been supporting local students & school staff for many years. They were happy to deliver our donations to the correct recipients needing a little surprise help!

Small actions - big impacts. Every small action of Kindness betters our world. Keep Shining your Light & Love on those in your path.

HELPING COMPLETED 9/22/2023

"DROPS OF COMFORT & CARE": sEPTEMBER 31, 2023

🎗1,738 gifts donated to children battling cancer and blood disorders at (CHOA) Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite on 9/25/23.

⚘This extraordinary gift of Love was successful with the Strong partnership of Building Strong Horizons, Inc. - Thanks Jenna for your endless effort & deep Love to the mission.

💙 As always, our success is shored up by the Kindness & Service of our Volunteers & Donors.

💖 Thank you to our volunteers who went above & beyond by serving to create no-sew blankets, donating gifts & helping to organize our 1,738 items! You & your kids are the best! Sherry-Kevin Chatham Amanda Smallwood Baubles & Kelly Geronimos. Special thanks to our out of state (PA) supporter Julie Miller who donated a box full of blankets!

BIG THANKS to our local community whom we had Support & Kindness from:

⭐ Mac Design Group for donating an amazing 200 pairs of new socks.

⭐ The Encouragement Project who donated 18 lovely & handmade no-sew blankets.

⭐ Temple Kol Emeth-Marietta, GA whose members generously donated several no-sew blankets, boxes of toys & $20 to purchase special books.

⭐ North Atlanta Events who sponsored KIDS CARE a vendor table to collect donations at their Back-to-School Bash.

⭐ The Larry Project for teaching our volunteers how to create no-sew blankets.

⭐ The Alice Gallery LLC for producing & offering BSH a discount on 112 beautiful "Tough" soaps.

⭐ Cobb County Police Department Precinct 5 for providing us their community room to organize donations. Special thanks to Robin!

⭐ Montessori at Brookstone for your kind donations.

⭐ Triton Tough for publishing & providing us a discounted rate on the very special & inspirational Triton Tough graphic novel.

⭐ All individual donors who help create this much magic!

💝 GIFTS DONATED=

♡ 134 Handmade No-Sew Blankets

♡ 200 Pairs of Socks

♡ Hundreds of DIY Art Kits & Art Supplies

♡ 110 Wikki Sticks

♡ 112 Bars of Soap

♡ 100 Small Baskets to store gifts.

♡ 100 DIY Color Bookmarks

♡ 100+ Toys

♡ 100+ Fidget Toys

♡ 81 Stuffed Animals

♡ 48 Tough Triton Books

♡ 47 "Warmies" (plush animals that warm in microwave)

♡ Numerous additional gifts

💞 Another beautiful & big give by KIDS CARE & our community. Thank you for continuing to Create Kindness with us. We see your Love!

HELPING COMPLETED 7/31/2023

Food Pantry Service Day: november 21, 2023

Thank you to The Center for Family Resources for being a huge blessing to Cobb County's #foodinsecure population AND for allowing our youth to proudly serve their community. #foodpantry #helpothers

🙏 We pray that all who are hungry find their Angel Lane for nourishment & support. Please bless your local food pantries with donations and/or volunteer to serve with them.

💙 THANK YOU to our Volunteer families whose big hearts & busy hands learned/served together at The Center for Family Resources newly renovated food pantry on 11/21.

💚 Volunteers change our world & we are so very proud of this crew. Everyone went home exhausted, grateful & satisfied in only a way that serving others can leave your heart.

😇 Serving others Shines your Soul. It feels so good to not think about yourself for a moment. To lend a heart & hand to lift others Spirits & needs. It's great for a mental health boost. Find service near you - you are needed in your community & won't regret it.

💖 Thank you to KIDS CARE Volunteers for showing up on your day off & thank you for caring to give your Time. You are Angels to those around you & your community! 😇🐢💙

HELPING COMPLETED 11/21/2023

CHRISTMAS CAROLING: DECEMBER 18, 2023

GIVING our time, our energy, and our compassion actually LEADS TO RECEIVING the biggest gifts of all. Love, Gratitude, Friendship, Joy, Laughter, Happiness, Pride in our youth, Community Connections & a true sense of Peace.

💫Thank you @sterlingestateswestcobb for helping us foster relationships between our youth & your senior community. Our experiences together are always so precious.

🎁 Super proud of our volunteers for showing up to Sing on 12/18. In front of people! We are not professionals at all, nor did we practice together (we all practiced at home). And yes, we had some nervous kids, but they did it. Thanks seniors for giving our kids a safe place to show up & practice social skills. Thanks volunteers for your strength of character. Simply by showing up & knowing we don't have to be perfect, we definitely delivered Joy.

❤ Several senior residents let us know how much they enjoyed singing along and watching the kids. One senior said, "I don't get to see kids anymore. I miss them. Thank you for bringing the kids".

It's showing up. It's smiling. It's sharing our light. It's recognizing the light within others. It's caring & compassion. It's the little actions that make big imprints on our hearts. Givers receive the best gifts of all. 🤍 J❤Y 💚

#givetoreceive

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