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Homeless for the Holidays
by Cynthia Wetmiller
Traditionally, the holidays are a time of cheer and good will. People donate to food banks, give change to the Salvation Army Santas outside department stores, write checks to charities and take part in holiday gift drives that benefit abused, neglected or forgotten children. This holiday season, don't forget that a long, cold winter awaits the homeless. What can you and your students do to help ease some of the suffering homeless people endure each winter? Plenty!
Here are a few service-learning projects that can help your students spread a little holiday cheer "service-learning style" in the homeless community:
Homeless Children Project (Elementary School Project)
Adults aren't the only ones living on the streets without a home. Unfortunately, children are victims of homelessness and suffer just as much, if not more, than adults. Elementary students can host an "Angel Tree" in the community and help collect needed clothing items for homeless children. As a part of their art curriculum, students can design and cut out angels and make ornaments for the Angel Tree. On the blank side of the angel, students can write down a clothing item needed by a homeless child at a local shelter. Students can make gift wrap using glitter, paint, rubber stamps and butcher paper. Students can also be encouraged by their teachers to practice organizational skills as they collect, sort and wrap the donated Angel Tree gifts.
Toothbrush and Toothpaste Stockings (Middle School Health Project)
It is not uncommon for the homeless to be without toothbrushes and toothpaste. Help change that by having your middle school health students host a "Toothbrush and Toothpaste Stocking Drive" at school. In addition to learning about oral health and practices that are bad for the tongue, teeth and gums (smoking, snuff, chewing tobacco, too much candy, tongue and lip piercings, etc.), students can educate fellow students in their school as they collect holiday stockings filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss for the community's homeless. During the holiday season, students can invite local dentists and dental students to help them distribute these "Toothbrush and Toothpaste Stockings" at local soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
Soup Kitchen Snack-Kits (High School Family & Consumer Science Project)
Family and consumer science students can study nutritional aspects of snack foods and determine what foods are healthy and tasty snack choices. Once they learn about healthy snacks, they can collect, create and distribute snack-kits to the homeless at shelters and soup kitchens during the holiday season. A simple kit could contain a zip-lock bag filled with healthy snacks, such as carrots, peanuts, celery, fruit, raisins and granola bars, a juice box or bottle of water and a napkin. Students might even utilize their cooking skills and bake some healthy snacks like homemade granola bars, oatmeal cookies or trail mix. If time allows, consider having your students collect coupons from the Sunday papers for healthy snacks. These can be included in the snack kits if an opportunity arises for the homeless to purchase snacks at the grocery store.
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The Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance dissolved as of June 30, 2007. The website will stay posted for one more year, so please share the resources. We are sorry that we will not be able to answer any questions you may have. Good luck with all your future service-learning endeavors!