Tag Archive: donate


It’s Just What We Do

Filed Under: Families, Site Coordinators by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
May 10, 2012

Today’s blog post is written by a group of site coordinators from Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County, Kan. Last month, Kansas was hit hard by a series of tornadoes. Staff and volunteers from Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County have been working to help families recover from this natural disaster.

On Tuesday, Communities In Schools of Wichita site coordinators organized a “store” of donated items, such as food and gift cards. Their hard work served approximately 100 families currently recovering from the tornadoes.

On Saturday April 14th, 2012, approximately 100 tornadoes were reported in the state of Kansas. One community that was severely affected was the Oaklawn area, located outside of Wichita. Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County is present in five of the schools there. The entire community was without gas and electricity for a week. Communities In Schools  reached out through home visits and phone calls to see what students and their families needed to make it through the difficult days following the severe weather. Communities In Schools also partnered with multiple community agencies, churches, and school districts to assist in fulfilling the needs of the families.

These families have been displaced, suffered loss of belongings or have had structural damage to their homes. Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County has set up a fund for tornado disaster relief that consists of money and donated goods such as non-perishable items, hygiene items, water and gift cards. The fund will assist with long-term and immediate needs for affected families. We have assisted in feeding families and volunteers in the disaster area, helped to provide district-wide communication and established long-term collaborations with partners. We will remain active in the efforts to provide support…it is just what we do!

Site Coordinators:

Elainne Fulenwider, Cooper Elementary
Bev Zuba, Oaklawn Elementary
Katie Savute, Derby Sixth Grade Center
Elise Matz, Derby Middle School
Gary Meitler, Derby High School

You can help Communities In Schools of Wichita/Sedgwick County support families affected by the tornadoes by making a donation.

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Making Every Day a Service Day

Filed Under: General, Volunteers by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
January 17, 2012

On the Fourth of JulMartin Luther King, Jr.y, we watch fireworks. On Thanksgiving, we share a meal with our families. And on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we change our communities for the better.

In 1994, Congress recognized Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a national day of service. Yes, we may not have to go into the office or school on this federal holiday, but we are still supposed to work. Work to make our communities safer for children and families. Work to empower individuals who may not have a voice. Work to bridge cultural and economic barriers. The Corporation for National and Community Service describes it best: “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day on, not a day off.” View full article »

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“Fill the Backpack” raises funds for Communities In Schools

Filed Under: Programs by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
August 25, 2011

Today’s blog post comes from Kelly Whalen, author of The Centsible Life, a blog designed to help you live the life of your dreams on a budget. You can often find her on Twitter and Facebook talking money and motherhood.

Kelly Whalen with P&G, John Legend and Dan Cardinali

(L-R) P&G U.S. Marketing Manager Jim Leish,"The Centisble Life" author Kelly Whalen, John Legend, and Communities In Schools President Dan Cardinali

Earlier this summer my business partner, Julie Meyers Pron, and I were introduced to the amazing work Communities In Schools does throughout the country when we attended the GIVE Education press conference hosted by P&G, Communities In Schools, and with Grammy Award-winning musician John Legend. While the event was great (as was John’s singing-you can view the video here), getting the opportunity, with a small group of other bloggers, to have an intimate Q&A with John Legend, as well as P&G U.S. Marketing Manager Jim Leish and Communities In Schools President Dan Cardinali, was truly enlightening and inspiring.

As bloggers one of the great things we can do is bring a voice to causes we truly care about, and with the new school year on the horizon I knew there couldn’t be a better fit than working with Communities In Schools. View full article »

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The more you save the more you give

Filed Under: General, National Office, Pop Culture, Programs by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
July 28, 2011
brandSAVER cover

Keep an eye out for your P&G brandSAVER this weekend!

You’re already following us on Facebook and Twitter. You’ve watched the P&G GIVE Education video featuring John Legend to help us get to our goal of raising $10,000, and shared it with all your friends and family. Right?  Of course.

So, what else can you do to help Communities In Schools give kids the chance to succeed in school and achieve in life?

Go shopping.

This Sunday, July 31, all of the coupons you use from Procter & Gamble’s brandSAVER will equal contributions to Communities In Schools. For each coupon you use to purchase products such as Duracell batteries, Febreze fabric and air freshener, Tide laundry detergent and more, Communities In Schools will receive two cents.

Yes, two cents might not seem like a lot. But consider this: it costs Communities In Schools less than $200 per year to support a student and completely change his or her world for the better. Every penny counts, and a couple cents multiplied by millions can add up very quickly to help many more young people. Those contributions translate into resources like food, health care, clothing, academic support and after-school programs, a positive role model and much more.

So keep an eye out for the Sunday paper. If you’re not sure that you will receive a brandSAVER, go here and find out what newspapers in your area contain them. And then starting this Sunday, July 31, go shopping! Your power as a consumer can mean so much to America’s children.

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Turning a gift into a treasure

Filed Under: General, National Office by Briana Kerensky — Leave a comment
July 6, 2011

Today’s blog post comes from Tim Plant, Communities In Schools’ Director of Individual Giving.

One of the most exciting donations that Communities In Schools received recently was from a young woman in Texas. When the gift arrived, we looked at the name – didn’t recognize it – then the amount – $10 – then the answer to the question, “How did you hear about Communities In Schools?” The answer: I was a Communities In Schools kid. It changed my life.

Those few words turned the gift into a treasure.

Every gift that is made to Communities In Schools is special, because it stands for so much. It represents a trust that the donor has for us and for our work; it represents a commitment to the students who rely on our programs; and, most of all, it demonstrates that there is a national community that believes youth – youth they will never meet – deserve every chance to succeed in life.

Communities In Schools recently redesigned the development section of our website with the aim of making it more convenient to learn about our work and how to help. Whether it’s a former teacher making a small monthly gift, a national corporation who believes in our work, or a family foundation awarding us a grant, each gift is valued. And since it takes relatively little to support a Communities In Schools student for an entire year (about $200), every gift goes a long way in changing the life of a child. View full article »

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