Inspired and inspiring kids

Be an inspiration— send in your Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF contribution online

We are the Amador Valley UNICEF Club from Pleasanton, CA. This year, we coordinated Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF for local elementary schools. At each school, we performed a skit explaining global challenges that children face, and how UNICEF is working to resolve these challenges.

Since most of our club campaigns involve the high school or general community, we wanted Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF to specifically reach out to the younger students of our city. To do this, our club focused this fundraiser in three local elementary schools.

At each school, we performed a skit introducing basic survival challenges that children around the world are facing.

Because UNICEF addresses the rights and welfare of children, we emphasized the need for privileged children—such as the students of our school district—to help other children who don’t have access to the resources and opportunities that we do.

Originally, we worried that the elementary school students wouldn’t empathize or understand the global challenges faced by less fortunate children. However, as we found out, most students were extremely concerned with this news and were enthusiastic to learn about how they could help by Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF.

In the end, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF wasn’t just a fundraising campaign. It was an opportunity for us to connect with younger students in our community while introducing them to global challenges faced by children of their age.

In total, we led a team of sixty club volunteers, reached out to two thousand elementary school students, and raised $1,311.11 for UNICEF.

My name is Sabrina and I am a 7^th grade girl originally adopted from China.

This past summer I returned with my adoptive family to visit the orphanage I came from in Shang Gao City, in Jiang Xi Province, China.

I learned that all over the world, children, especially girls (and in China, second born girls) don’t always have access to education. I feel so lucky to have access to a strong education at a fun school with all my friends. My favorite subjects are Greek Mythology, Latin, and Math. When I’m older I plan to go on to college and eventually make a real difference in the lives of others, especially children.

This summer I started planning a 7^th grade Halloween Dance at our town recreation center. I started planning with the help of a few of my friends. I am pleased and proud to say it was very successful. About 100 7^th grade students, which is half the class, in Weston, MA participated in some way to support UNICEF and kids like us around the world. With this $1,551 donation I am proud to be part of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.

My daughter, Kessa first became interested in children’s rights last year when she trick-or-treated for UNICEF. Feeling empowered, she decided to continue helping children around the world in any way she could. When spring arrived, she asked me, “Mommy, can we have a yard sale to benefit the children of Haiti?” I had held one yard sale in my adult life on the hottest day of the year in Eugene, Oregon as I was 8 months pregnant. After that experience, I had sworn never to have a yard sale again. But what does a mother say to a 6-year-old with such great ideas?!

Kessa asked friends in the neighborhood and church for donations to add to our closet cleanings. We all made sings together. Her 86-year-old grandmother even played a part, helping us run the sale throughout the day. On August 26th, Kessa earned $240 at her yard sale while educating her friends and neighbors about the current needs in Haiti (everyone received a small flyer with their purchases listing facts on the conditions in Haiti as well as the UNICEF website and what they can do locally to help).

I am very proud of my daughter, now 7, and her desire to help others. The online materials available on the UNICEF website were very helpful in building Kessa’s understanding of people and their needs around the world.

Kessa continues to do all she can to help children internationally by staffing the children’s booth at our local farmers’ market this past Saturday and will do so again this next Saturday to promote UNICEF and their efforts to help children around the world achieve a higher quality of life.