I was thinking how many people want to help in situations like this but are not sure what to do besides donating money. Here are a few ways you can help even if you live far away.
There is a group of girls from Parkland who started a company (before the shooting, sadly they now have to raise money for their own town) called 3 Heart Strings that makes sprint bracelets and stickers. They are now selling MSD bracelets and bumper stickers with the money going to the victims fund. My daughters and their friends went and made bracelets with them yesterday so if you order maybe you will get one of theirs. Go to the company website to order http://www.3heartstrings.com/home.html.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas PTSA Facebook page has posted an Amazon wish list for the teachers. These are the teachers who will not be able to go back into their building because it is still a crime scene- they need everything from school supplies to room decorations as they are going to have to start from scratch this week. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to post the link so if it doesn’t work go to their Facebook page and scroll down a little bit to find it.
The PTSA has also asked for banners from around the world to hang up to decorate MSD. Our local middle school just sent a few but I am sure they like seeing them come from far away. A friend of mine in Australia is working on getting her school to send one!
Over 150 cities and town are marching on March 24th in support of the March for our Lives in Washington. Check and see if there is one near you. A good way to help is to ensure the Parkland student’s message is heard nationwide.
Just saw a story this morning on how one of the Parkland survivors is encouraging people to boycott Florida for spring break until some gun laws are passed. He even encourages people to travel to Puerto Rico for spring break instead, to help their economy rebound.
I am so impressed with the Parkland students and how they have responded to this tragedy by organizing themselves to have a national march and traveling to Tallahassee and appearing on so many news programs and the CNN town hall. The best way to memorialize and help the 17 is to not let this issue this time around disappear. Hold politicians accountable. Encourage those turning 18 to register to vote and to vote when the elections come around, primaries, local elections, state and local elections. When one registers to vote, encourage another to vote and so on.
An update - I just got back from helping hand out supplies from the Amazon wish list to the Parkland teachers - there was so much stuff!! The teachers got to come in and “shop” around the room for everything from tissues to pencils to white boards to stress balls. The displaced teachers (those 24 teachers whose classrooms were in the freshman building and will now have to travel from room to room wherever there is space) got first priority for some of the items that they might need the most. All 24 even got a rolling cart to move their stuff easily.
On top of the supplies there was so much food! There were snacks and individually wrapped baked goods that the teachers could take for themselves or for their students. Then in another room there was a huge buffet with donated food from local families and restaurants including tons of pre made dinners ready to be cooked at home or frozen.
One teacher who really made things hit home even more was a Govt/Econmics teacher who was getting a bunch of supplies to decorate bulletin boards. He said he needed to make new ones with lots of maps because he was taking over a Geography class for Scott Beigel, the teacher/cross country coach who was killed.
I love the boycott Florida idea. I know it’s not possible for every circumstance but it hits them where it hurts. Send a letter to every state legislator explaining why you are mad at them for not passing the proposed laws that are right in front of their face.
Go to the company website to order http://www.3heartstrings.com/home.html.
The teachers got to come in and “shop” around the room for everything from tissues to pencils to white boards to stress balls. The displaced teachers (those 24 teachers whose classrooms were in the freshman building and will now have to travel from room to room wherever there is space) got first priority for some of the items that they might need the most. All 24 even got a rolling cart to move their stuff easily.