Preparing Kids for Tornado Warnings

Watching a movie during a tornado warning.

I can remember a day long, long ago when my dad got my brother and I in a small bathtub to shelter us from a storm. The fear is still vividly on my mind of being tucked in that tub and the wind and rain pounding against the window above my head in our tiny old five room home. The tornado passed and we were safe.

30 something years later, I gather my children often in the bathroom to wade out storms and pray as tornadoes pass around us. My kids have seen too much of the destruction caused by April 27 tornadoes. They have become tornado experts at 3 and 5. They get anxious at the thought of a tornado and so does their mamma.

Today, we are expecting bad weather in AL. I’m thinking I will be spending time with the kids in the bathroom at some point, so I wanted to share with you how we take cover during tornado warnings.

Preparing Kids for Tornado Warnings

Here are a few things to help your family prepare for a tornado warning without getting the kids freaked-out while creating a calm safe place during the storm.

Items needed:

Parents:

• Shoes
• Car keys
• Cell phone (follow James Spann on Twitter @spann)
• Flashlight
• Radio/weather radio
• Snacks
• Water
• Laptop (ABC 33/40)
• etc…,

Kids:

• Shoes
• Bike helmet,
• Backpack with toy and books
• Favorite snack with a sippy cup.
• Car seats for babies and toddlers.

Steps:

1. Long before the need to go to your safe place, get blankets and pillows and set up the room. Tell the kids that you will be experiencing some bad weather today and that you are going to prepare the _____ (safest place in your home) for some family time or a party.
2. Have the kids pack their favorite toys and books in their backpacks.
3. Make sure you have shoes in your safe place if the kids don’t have shoes on their feet.
4. Make a little snack area.
5. Place electronic equipment in the room- radio, cell phone, laptop/tablet, etc…,. Make sure everything is charged. BTY…The toilet make a great place for the laptop to watch a movie if the bathroom is your safe place.
6. 10 to 15 minutes before the storm is to hit gather the kids in the safe room and have them start watching a movie or get their toys out to play. Have them go ahead and put their helmets and shoes on at this time, so there is not a rush or power struggle when the bad weather does come. Moms and dads put on a helmet, too.
7. Be calm and stay with the children as you are keeping updated about the weather on your phone or radio.
8. If you hear the winds strengthening, hold your children close in a huddle to comfort them and pray together.
9. Stay in your safe place until you are sure that it is safe to come out.
10. Parents, the most important thing is to stay calm. Your kids will be watching how you respond.

Kids4AL Update

Friends, it has been a rough year in AL for tornadoes. The most recent stream of tornadoes hit north of Birmingham. It is estimated that 500 homes were heavily damaged.

In addition, many families are just beginning to move into their new homes almost a year after the April 27 tornadoes. It is easier for many people, just to move and start all over somewhere else which leaves broken communities in AL. It takes years for communities to heal and some communities will never be the same. Even today, when you drive through parts of New Orleans there are houses that have not been touched since Katrina.

There are great needs in AL.

After the recent tornadoes, I really wanted to do something. However, Kids4AL is down to me (Mitzi) at the moment with little time to support Kids4AL.

The projects that we had hoped to launch in the fall failed. I didn’t have churches or individuals that were interested in adopting a classroom or sending coats (Yet, the school we partnered with got these needs met by others organizations. God is good.). We had a support system of moms and Children’s Ministers for a short time this Summer, but that quickly disappeared as school started back.

This was a wake up call for me and really left me questioning what to do with Kids4AL and this site. We are missing key support for Kids4AL to work- writers to communicate on the blog and churches and individuals to support and give to projects. Currently, I know of a well respected Christian organization that wants us to partner with them, but I don’t want to start something without support.

I’m really okay either way, because I know that God is in this process.

My question at this point: Is there interest in doing a project for children by children to help with the latest tornadoes in AL? If so, please leave me a comment and let me know of your interest and if you represent a family or a church body.

I’ve Got Mail- Adoption Mail

For the past 3 months, I have been waiting on a envelope with the information on classes that Kids4AL were adopting. I’m not sure what happened, but it arrived today.

I smiled and looked up at the sky as I was reminded of the amusing character of God.

I opened the envelope to find a snapshot of needs. A glimpse of what second graders are going through seven months after the storm from the perspective of their teachers. Remember, as you read the responses from the teachers that the majority of the children have to drive through a mile of tornado destruction to get to school. Among the destruction a few homes are being rebuilt.

How has the tornado effected your approach to teaching?

• We talk more about their personal life than before. It give them a chance to reflect back.
• The children want to talk more about what happened to their family and home.
• The students talk about their families and what they lost.

How has the rebuilding process affected the chidlren?

• They miss their friends and classmates who are relocated.
• They will be glad when all their friend come back.
• Many families are still displaced; haven’t seen some of their friends from last school year.

Please, pray for these children and their teachers. More needs to come…

Blessings,

Mitzi

Coats4Hope Project

Photo credit: Overstock.com, How to Choose Winter Coats for Kids

Fall is here. And, we are starting to have cooler days in AL.

As many children are getting their coats out of the closet from last year and realizing that they no longer fit, there is another group of kids going to the closet and realizing they lost their coats to an April tornado. Coats 4 Hope was established as a ministry to connect kids with coats to those kids who need coats.

Parents, please consider letting your children send their gently used or new coat to a child in Alabama. This is a great opportunity for your child to give to others.

Children’s leaders, please consider doing a jacket and coat drive in your church or school.

How it Works

• Email your contact information to Kids4AL (at) gmail (dot) com and place in the subject line “Coats4Hope” in the subject line.
• After you have collected coats, you will send us the number of items collected along with their specific genders and sizes.
• We will follow up by sending you an address to mail the coats to. You will be shipping the coats you have collected to where the greatest needs are. You will be responsible for shipping or delivering the coats on or before November 14.

Keep in Mind

• Coats should be clean before shipping.
• If the item is too worn for your child to wear, then please don’t send it.
• Only children’s sized coats and jackets are needed and will be accepted.
• Please, do not send any other kid or adult clothing or accessories, since the schools that we will be sending the items to are not set up to store or distribute these items.
• Please, encourage the kids who participate to print out the notecard, sign it, and place in the pocket of the coat that they are donating.
• Items must be shipped on or before November 14, so that schools can distribute the coats for hope to students before Thanksgiving break. The earlier you can ship them the better.

Please remember, if you or your church, organization or school would like to participate, email us with “Coats4Hope” in the subject line at kids4al (at) gmail (dot) com.

You will be making difference to children in need this winter.

Check back next week when we will be posting our first three Kids4AL Adopt a Classroom groups. We will need three children’s ministries to support them.

New Kids4AL Projects Announced!

Kids are returning to school! This is great for the kids in Alabama whose lives have been affected by the tornadoes in April because school provides structure and security.

Families are still living in temporary housing. Many in the Pratt City area of Birmingham are living with other family members. Case Workers are just now being assigned to help families restore their lives. Recently, I was talking with a man in the construction industry who said the progress to rebuild is slow because of many factors beyond the residents’ control, leaving the majority of families in a state of flux.

Kids4AL is partnering with School of Hope Pratt City. Of 400 students enrolled, as many as 200 lost their homes or had severe damage. The school is a Birmingham City School. This is the same school where Kids4AL distributed 200 Boxes of Hope and assisted with providing entertainment through our local church partners at the Celebration of Hope Carnival.

School of Hope Pratt City (name we will call the school online) is a great school where the kids look up to their principle who is a man of honor, faith, and to many a hero. The principle is a bi-vocational pastor whose family lost everything in the tornado. Yet, he was determined to provide for the kids and hosted a summer camp for 200 local kids who were affected by the tornado. He knows how best to encourage the kids and minister to the parents, because he is on the journey of restoration with them. We are excited to enter into a yearlong partnership with School of Hope Pratt City and this man of faith.

We hesitated starting a project until school got back in session and we could better evaluate the needs. The school has had lots of groups that contributed school supplies and resources for the teachers, so those needs are being met. Kids4AL seeks to do projects in line with our mission statement- Kids4AL creates projects for children’s groups and families that brings the hope of Christ to children through deeds and words when permitted.

Last week, I met with the school’s project coordinator who is very excited about the partnership. Together, we came up with two separate projects one is for the fall and the other is ongoing.

Project One: Coats for Hope
Created for: Families, schools, or churches.
Needs: Children need coats, as the weather in Alabama gets cooler.
Description: Groups will collect coats and clothing of various sizes to send to School of Hope Pratt City.
Deadline to receive resources: November 14
Coats (new or gently used, all sizes)

Project Two: Kids4AL Adopt a Classroom*
Volunteers: Schools, Churches, and Homeschool coverings or coop.
Needs: 20** groups to provide resources for a classroom to encourage and bring hope to the children.
Description: A yearlong partnership coordinated through Kids4AL for School of Hope Pratt City where kid groups will be assigned a specific classroom and collect specific resources four different times a year in different phases.
Time- September-April
Phase (these are subject to changed based on needs)
Phase One: Clothes4Hope- Partners will be given exact sizes and clothing needs for the kids in their classroom.
Phase Two: Gifts4Hope- Partners will send the children each a gift or gift boxes for Christmas.
Phase Three: Party4Hope- Partners will collect and make a Hope Party in a Box with snacks and party favors that will coincide with Easter.
Phase Four: Summer4Hope- Swimsuit drive and collect other items kids will need during the summer based on needs.

How to participate?
Please, send us an email to Kids4AL@gmail.com and let us know what project you would like to do. In the subject line, place “Project 1” or “Project 2”.

*For the Kids4AL Adopt a Classroom© project, the group will need to complete an application form. The Kids4AL Adopt a Classroom is limited to schools, churches, and homeschool covering or co-ops due to liability issues. To protect the children, all communication will go between a mediator at Kids4AL and School of Hope. We encourage individuals, families, and businesses to participate in Coats for Hope and other opportunities that we will be posting throughout the year. If you are a business or individual who would like to make a cash donation directly to the school or Kids4AL, please contact Mitzi Eaker (place my in subject line) at Kids4AL@gmail.com.

**If we have more that 20 groups interested we will be able to partner with other schools.

Thank you for your support and prayers,

Mitzi Eaker
Kids4AL Creator
kids4al@gmail.com

Finally…Celebration of Hope Pratt City Video

A glimpse of the Celebration of Hope carnival that Kids4AL co-sponsored with our network of local churches and businesses.

Thanks to our partners and volunteers who donated their time and resources to make the carnival happen!
Monkey Business Party Rentals
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Sixth Avenue Baptist Church
Westwood Baptist Church
Grace Klein Community ministries
Kids4AL moms

And other groups who donated resources to the school were Target, Full Moon, Blue Bell Ice Cream, and Jiggles the Clown group.

And individual volunteers from Asbury United Methodist, The Church at Brook Hills, and Dawson Memorial Baptist Church.

Blessed!

Mitzi

Kids4MO Party of Hope

Sorry, I just realized that this was not posted in July. Please, enjoy…

I spent July 9 with my husband, Shane Eaker, at First Baptist Joplin implementing Party of Hope with Kids4MO Danielle Schneller and First Baptist Children’s Minister Lisa Morris. I cannot say enough wonderful things about these two gals. They were heaven sent. The three of us had never met before. We were networked together by God’s Devine intervention to plan Party of Hope. Throughout the whole process with complimented one another perfectly. I love those two!

Party of Hope was great! The kids has such a good time and every child left with a Box of Hope and a Orange Virtue Pack. Plus, the kids had lots of fun on inflatable sponsored by Maccaroo Gym and Inflatable Party Rentals and lots of food- hotdogs, chips, cake, cotton candy, snow cones, and pop corn. The regional Child Evangelism Fellowship came to share God’s plan for salvation as they did face painting and games. Lisa shared with each family how to find hope in Christ in difficult times through a devotional before each child was given their Box of Hope and Orange Virtue Pack that was focused on Hope and Perseverance.

I would like to thank the Missouri Baptist Churches that supporting Party of Hope!

July is a Time to Celebrate!

We have two big celebrations planned for July!

On July 9, Kids4MO in partnership with First Baptist Church Joplin will be hosting Party of Hope for the Joplin community. This event is designed for children ages 5-12 and their families. It is being supported by area businesses in Joplin and Southern Baptist churches across Missouri. (I heart Missouri Baptist for supporting this event! Plus, I adore the two women in MO that God has provided to make Party of Hope come to life, Danielle Schneller (St. Louis) and Lisa Morris (Joplin). These two are blessing my socks off!)

Every child that attends Party of Hope will receive a Box of Hope!

These are being collected at the moment. We are asking individuals and group to get the boxes to First Baptist Church Joplin no later that July 5. Also, each child will receive a Box of Hope card that shares God’s plan of salvation and a FamilyTimes Virtue Pack focusing on hope. Thank you Orange for donating the 1000 FamilyTimes Virtue Pack!

July 14, Kids4AL is sponsoring a celebration for a camp of 200 elementary and middle school students and their 50 high school camp counselors in the Pratt City area of Birmingham. This camp was created by The Rotary Club of Birmingham and the Birmingham Board of Education especially for the children affected by the tornado.

Kids4AL together with Birmingham area businesses and churches want to spoil these kids to fun, Christ’s love, and a day filled with hope they will never forget. We are thankful to have Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and Westwood Baptist supporting this event.

We still have some craft and activity booths that need to be sponsored by a church group. If you are interested in helping with these events in anyway, please email me at kids4al@gmail.com.

Celebrating hope in Christ,

Mitzi

Kids4MO Moves Forward!

Kids4MO is gaining momentum in Missouri and across the US!

Danielle Schneller, mom and family ministry advocate, is the Kids4MO director. She has done an amazing job the past two week of enlisting churches to help collect boxes for Joplin, MO. Also, assisting with Kids4MO is Lisa Morris, Children’s Minister at First Baptist Church Joplin, MO. Together, FBC Joplin and Kids4MO will be hosting a “Big Family Event” for the Joplin community on July 9. The Boxes of Hope that we are collecting will be distributed at the event.

The three of us are implementing the event with the help of Southern Baptist churches and volunteers near Joplin. If you are in the area and would like to help, please email me at Kids4AL@gmail.com.

We are so excited that Orange donated a FamilyTime Virtue Pack focusing on hope to go in every box! What a perfect gift to families!

Here is the Kids4MO Boxes of Hope information. If your group is sending boxes, please contact Danielle at Kids4MO@gmail.com and let her know.

Amazed by God’s grace and inspired by your giving,

Mitzi Eaker

Sharing Hope at Camp

Kids4AL has adopted a summer camp, in the north Birmingham area of Pratt City, that was created for 200+ children who were affected by one of the F5 tornadoes that hit AL.

The Pratt City area is going to be one of the tougher areas in AL to rebuild. It is a very densely populated area and very few resident had insurance. The kids and families in Pratt City need lots of encouragement and hope. Adopting the camp is the perfect way for Kids4AL to connect kids to kids in need of hope.

Sharing

Last week, we gave the elementary aged kids close to 200 Boxes of Hope. This week we have partnered with First Priority to provide Bags of Hope to the camp middle school students and high school counselors. On July 14, Kids4AL will be using our network (that would be you ) to host the entertainment for a end of camp celebration. We will need church groups to provide carnival type activities for the kids (This would be a great pre-teen missions opportunity!) and businesses to donate goods for give-a-ways and door prizes. If you are interested in helping, please email subject line “celebration” with your church or business information. I will follow up with you with the details.

Friday, I asked the summer camp director to give me a list of items she would love to have for the kids this summer. Below is the list, if you would like to donate something on this list, new or gently used, please email kids4AL@gmail.com subject line “SC Wishlist” with the item or items you would like to contribute. I will then send directions on shipping or dropping off the item.

Wishing (list)

Technology

Wii with microphone
Xbox 360 Kinnect
Games for either Wii or Xbox:
Zumba
Micheal Jackson
Dance Central
Guitar Hero
Super Mario
Madden 2011
Other video games…

LCD Projector
Pull out or table top screen

Games and Teacher Resources

Art Games
Bop-It (10 games with AA batteries)
Connect 4 (!0 games)
Operation (10 games with AA battteries)
Spelling Bee or Education Trophies
A Treasure Chest full of prices for children.
Music Instruments- Drum

Thanks for sharing hope in Pratt City,

Mitzi Eaker
www.kids4al.com
kids4al@gmail.com