Spring Clean and Donate All at Once!

By Guest Blogger Sarah K

Last week TriadSmartyPants ran a blog on Random Acts of Kindness. Continuing in the giving spirit, we have another way for you to give to others. I work with children at several daycares that are all under-staffed, under-maintained and under-stocked. The children at these centers are "at-risk" for so many reasons and one could easily argue that they need the best daycares, best teachers, and best materials only to come close to leveling the playing field. They have much to overcome in their little lives! I know times are tough and we all feel the strain but times like these make me so thankful for all I have and all I am able to provide for my children.

If you are like me and find yourself surrounded by more "stuff" than you need or could possibly use, please look at the list below and see if you have any of these items around that you may want to donate for a great, local, childrens’ cause. Ask your own children to go through their toys and supplies with you so that they can feel good about giving to other children.

This list was made by the teachers doing their best to help prepare these kids for school - so the items are mostly for kids ages 1-5. If you have other things not specifically mentioned but likely to help at a daycare setting or for education, I know they would be grateful for those, too. These items do not need to be new- anything in working condition or with the needed pieces would be great! Some things are easy Dollar Store purchases if you want to do that instead:

-Writing paper (for pre-writing or early writing with the big lines with dots between)
-Markers
-Vehicle toys (cars, trucks, airplanes, etc.)
-Pretend food, dishes, pots/pans for housekeeping center
-Dolls and doll accessories (clothes, bibs, bottles, etc)
-Stuffed animals
-Puzzles (simple peg puzzles, larger floor puzzles, early interlocking - not too difficult)
-Educational games/activities (teaching opposites, things that go together, shapes, colors, numbers, letters, categories, sorting, rhyming, etc)
-Calendar x 2 (like teachers use at circle time to teach days, months, seasons)
-Any bulletin board items to teach letters, numbers, colors, shapes, seasons, weather (could even be flash cards)
-Large ziploc baggies - I want to compile baggies for each child to hold their supplies
-Crayons (small box for each child)
-Glue bottles/glue sticks
-Pencils
-Animals (figures they can play with, sort, learn names of)
-Writing workbooks (pre-writing, tracing, dot to dot, early letter writing)
-Books

We tried to choose a central, well-known location for you all to drop off any items you are able to donate. I will be in the lobby of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches on Hanes Mall Boulevard in Winston-Salem at either of these times:
Tuesday, March 3rd 9:30 – 10am
Friday, March 6th 9:30 – 10am

Jimmy John’s is located in the mall parking lot on the same side as McDonald’s. It is in the strip that includes The Vitamin Shop, Chipotle and Cold Stone Creamery.

We hope to see you there! Sarah, the Day Care Centers and TriadSmartyPants all thank you in advance for your generosity!

Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM