As an Illinois native I am used to the weather changing at the drop of a hat. One day it will snow six inches and the next day it will be 50° and sunny. You never quite know what to expect in Illinois where the weather is concerned. Needless to say it is always a good idea to be prepared, especially in the winter.
Weather such as extreme cold temperature, blizzards, and ice storms are responsible for hundreds of these deaths and thousands of these injuries each year. Last year Illinois saw a blizzard that stranded drivers, buried vehicles, and closed schools. It was a massive snow storm that left my family snowed in.
Although Illinois has had an unseasonably warm winter this year, things have a way of changing quickly here. Even if there is no snow on the ground the wind chill can be something awful. Each and every day I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and clothes on my back. I am even more thankful that my children have coats on their backs and a nice warm house to call home. Unfortunately not all children are blessed with such circumstances.
This month I'm partnering with Energizer and Champions for Kids in the Energizer Light Up A Life Champions for Kids Campaign. My task is to put together a Winter Survival Kit to help children in need stay safe and be prepared for winter weather emergencies. Later this month I'll be sharing what I included in my winter survival kit.
The Champions for Kids mission is to mobilize MILLIONS of people by providing training and resources to improve the lives of children in communities across America and beyond. Their goal is to mobilize 20 Million people by 2020. I think that this is an attainable goal.
Today, over 24,000 children in the world under the age of five died due to poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses and other related causes (UNICEF). When including children over the age of 5 (6-18), this number almost doubles. This means that today almost 50,000 children will die from mostly preventable causes.
I am a big believer in supporting a worthy cause and giving back to the community. As a mother of two little boys I want my children to see what an impact their generosity can make. No matter how big or small, giving is always better than receiving. As a former educator I saw children coming through the doors without winter coats, hats, or gloves. Some were homeless, some forgot their winter apparel at home, and some couldn’t afford any. No matter the reason, they were always thankful for the extras I had on hand.
I will be taking my children shopping for a Winter Survival Kit which we will be donating to the Hesed House, a local homeless shelter. We chose the Hesed House because their mission is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and give people the chance to hope again. They provide opportunities and programs to assist in rebuilding lives.
I encourage you to join in! It is a simple as putting together a few items that would be useful in an emergency and donating them to a shelter or organization in your area that serves children. They may not have the means to purchase these items and there are always people in need. Together we can be true Champions for Kids!
I encourage you to join in! It is a simple as putting together a few items that would be useful in an emergency and donating them to a shelter or organization in your area that serves children. They may not have the means to purchase these items and there are always people in need. Together we can be true Champions for Kids!
For additional information please visit:
- Champions For Kids Website:http://championsforkids.org/simple/
- @Champions4Kids on Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/search/champions4kids
- Champions for Kids on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/ChampionsForKids
- Energizer’s Positive Energy Website:http://www.nowthatspositivenergy.com/
- Energizer’s Website:http://www.energizer.com/Pages/default.aspx
- @Energizer on Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/EnergizerBunny
- Energizer on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/EnergizerBunny
This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. Regardless, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
