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Reaching Out to the People of Haiti |
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Jan. 22, 2010
In our schoolwide response to the crisis in Haiti, all fundraising efforts undertaken at BFS will go to support the work of Doctors Without Borders.
- Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that provides aid to people in more than 60 countries whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. In 1999, MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize.
As an educational institution, we chose Doctors Without Borders because this is an organization whose work is very concrete, tangible, and understandable to students of all ages. Their work has been visible in television news reports, and they have a demonstrated record of financial stewardship of charitable donations.
Hand-in-hand with fundraising efforts, our older students and teachers in all divisions as well as the PAT (Parent and Teachers Association) are working to develop educational programs to help our students understand the situation in an age-appropriate manner and, in accord with the school's mission and Quaker principles, to reach out to those in need.
- In just one week, the Upper School Peace and Social Action Committee raised $1,800 for Haitian relief through the sale of pins (photo below).
- All proceeds from the 15th annual African American Celebration, to be held on Feb. 5, will be donated to Haitian relief.
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The
Middle School is holding a special program of concern on Jan. 26. This time
will be spent learning more about Haiti, the aftermath of the earthquake, and
ways in which to help. Lower School
students will be incorporating an age-appropriate educational and fundraising
component for Haiti into their ongoing community service programs, with plans
for making and selling friendship bracelets. In the
Preschool, teachers are talking to children about the earthquake in terms they
can understand. Preschool families will be donating shoes that their children
no longer need. Collecting shoes for
children who may not have any is very concrete and a good way for
preschoolers to understand how
they can help. We will be sending information to families next week and expect
the drive to go on for two weeks
“We know that our parents are very generous and know many of
them will be contributing as individuals to their own organizations of choice,”
said Head of School Michael Nill in announcing these initiatives. “Parents are role models to
their children not only by their personal support of the many charities working for Haitian relief; by purchasing items the children make to raise money --
bracelets in the Lower School, pins in the Upper School and so on -- and attending the African-American Celebration on
Feb. 5, they will be sending a very powerful message to our students about giving to others and helping when and where it is needed most."
Jan. 15, 2010
The BFS community is undertaking a coordinated, all-school approach in response to the earthquake and unfolding crisis in Haiti.
The Upper School Peace of Social Action Committee (representative members Emma, Anna and Sophia in photo above) will be making pins with beads from 12 noon to 2 pm tomorrow (Saturday Jan. 16) at 375 Pearl Street. US Dean Dori and US Head Roxanne will also attend. Middle school students are invited to join the US students on Saturday.
On Tuesday Jan. 19 the pins will be sold in the lobby. We will incorporate the PS and LS friendship bracelets with the pins in due course. Donations from the sale of pins and bracelets will be collected for a soon-to-be announced charity/non-governmental organization working on the ground in Haiti. The Division Heads, Director of Community Service Carla Precht, and the PAT Community Service Committee will be closely involved in the BFS community's fundraising, education, and advocacy efforts. Parents who wish to join in these efforts should e-mail Community Service Coordinators April DiComo or Melissa Coad.
More information will be forthcoming as we solidify plans.
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