[Photo above: Simon Hereford with calculator]
“The 4th graders at Mark Day School participated in a fund raising and gift buying project through Adopt-A-Family in Marin County, CA. Each 4th grader was asked to raise money to contribute to the project. My son, Simon, made rainbow loom bracelets and action figures to sell to our family members over the Thanksgiving holiday.
We took the opportunity to teach him how to make a fundraising pitch, including what the funds were going toward and how to say, “the recommended donation is $10, but you can feel free to donate more.” He made a great pitch and raised $90 from 6 family members!
Here’s the rainbow loom ballerina that Simon made for his Aunt for a $20 donation.
The class raised over $3400 from 42 kids. They split the proceeds amongst 4 families, with 17 people total. The kids then were put into groups of 3 shoppers and assigned a family member with a budget of $200 per person. Our group had the father of the family, $200 to spend and his wish list. Off we went to buy gifts!
Melissa, Simon, and friends shopping at Target
The kids were asked to keep track of each item on a list, to be sure they stayed within their $200 budget.
The itemized gift list
Simon with the calculator, staying within their $200 budget
The kids were thoughtful about the gifts. Our recipient asked for work clothes: collared polo shirts, button-down shirts, a belt and wallet, cologne and such. The kids were careful to choose items that they thought were dressy enough for work.
They still had time for fun!
After our shopping trip, the kids wrapped all their gifts, made cards and delivered everything to Adopt-A-Family. It was truly lovely to see the kids thoughtfully raising money and then shopping for families in need.”
[Melissa Hereford]
