By Annie Makela, Director of the Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Eden Maisel, Service Learning Coordinator
The past two months, we have seen multiple hurricanes in Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and then just this past week, we have witnessed a devastating fire that continues to impact the entire Bay Area. We have experienced this most recent disaster differently than others, as it has been close enough to actually impact our daily activities. Many of us know friends and family that have been forced to evacuate and experienced loss. Some of our own families were even evacuated with the latest Bear Fire.
At Hillbrook, we are fortunate to be part of a community that is deeply connected to social impact work. The Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship and our service learning program across all grade levels support students as they ask, “what matters most to me right now? What am I going to do about it?” These programs and the experiences they provide, give a space for students to voice their questions, thoughts, and concerns for what is happening in our world and support them as they transform their thoughts into projects. This can help children find a place and feel involved as they would like to be in disaster relief efforts.
We recognize students will respond differently based on a multitude of factors. Our goal at Hillbrook is to provide on-going support and opportunities for students to understand how to make an impact in the world.
- Pointing out “the helpers” as Mr. Rogers reminded us many years ago, is always a great way to remind our students that in times of need, communities come together and support one another.
- Our school’s service learning program and the launch of the Scott Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Hillbrook provide the platform and infrastructure for ongoing support and exploration as students navigate how they might each make an impact in our world.
Disaster relief efforts are urgent and ongoing. There are many people working to keep our communities safe. You can continue to brainstorm ways to support efforts with your child and family. Here are some suggestions and resources:
Research
Children will most likely have questions. It is helpful to provide enough details about what is happening without creating worry. Using a few specific details such as location and name can be helpful. “The hurricane hit Houston, Texas. The hurricane is called Hurricane Harvey.”
Educate
Learning specific facts about the disaster is helpful to some children. This can include the date that the event occurred, how long the disaster lasted, and a few updates along the way. You may also want to reference this article from HealthChildren.org as a starting point for talking to your children about your day and the things that matter to you. You can find this and other resources at the end of this post.
Advocate
Write a letter to a government official sharing your hopes of support of a community in need; shop local brands, especially from companies in areas where disasters have hit; check-out kid-friendly fundraising events; shows acts of kindness and gratitude to first responders and disaster relief service workers by writing thank you letters or sharing a gratitude video on social media , creating a “thank you” yard sign or exchanging a wave, hug or high five.
Donate
Your time, expertise, goods, and funding. After much exploration on disaster relief sites, it comes as no surprise that what most organizations need in times of disaster relief is money. Long term relief is a bit different. It is often in the weeks after disaster that non-monetary needs are assessed.
Resources:
- Talking to your child about tragedies
- How to Step Up in Time of a Disaster
- How families can get involved in times of need