We wanted to give a big thank you to two very special Girl Scout Daisy troops in Folsom. Between troops #619 and #1622, a total of 138 pairs of underwear were collected for the Project 680 Underwear Drive. We are so appreciative how these girls have taken on a project to look out for other kids in the FCUSD. Great work girls!! We are proud of you!!!
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The Folsom Cordova Unified School District Liaison for Homeless Services has informed Project 680 of a big need for new underwear for the homeless students in the FCUSD. Therefore, Project 680 will be holding a underwear drive from April 1 to May 11, 2011. We are asking for NEW (not used) underwear in all sizes and appropriate styles for boys and girls in grades K-12. Please see www.project680.org/underwear-2011 for an FAQ and details on how to get involved.
Together we can make a difference in the lives of homeless students in our community. Not only will new underwear meet a very relevant and practical need, but it will also speak volumes to students about how the community is looking out for them. Please consider getting involved. Thank you so much for your support.
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We are officially rolling out details for the Project 680 Underwear Drive. We’d love to partner together to collect 680 care-packages of underwear for homeless students (that adds up to about 3000 pairs of underwear). Please see www.project680.org/underwear-2011 for details about the drive. Here are opportunities for you to get involved. Let us know if anything resonates with you. Thank you so much!!!
Ways to Get Involved:
1) Pick an underwear goal with your family, household, the office, church or a group of friends. Pick a number of underwear that you’d like to collect with a group of people (maybe 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100) and then go for it. There are certainly some creative options for generating donations or even raising money too. We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, so let us know if you’d like. Kids often come up with really good ideas too.
2) We are looking for a dozen or so drop-off locations in the general area. These could be households, businesses, churches or organizations. Being a “drop-off” is a great opportunity to be available for the community and to network. Tell your contacts what you are doing so they can partner with you.
3) Come to our community finale BBQ on May 11, 2011 from 5:00-7:00pm at Rancho Cordova City Hall at 2729 Prospect Park Drive Rancho Cordova CA 95670. Drop off any underwear donations, meet some fellow Project 680 supporters, and enjoy a free hot dog BBQ for the first 100 attendees!!!
4) Make a video to help tell people about the Project 680 Underwear Drive. Tell people what you’re doing, how to get involved, or put a creative idea into motion. Post the video on our Facebook page or email us about it.
5) We are looking for an underwear logo. Any graphic designers out there want to help us make a stellar logo to advertise this drive? We’d like to see a couple “Project 680 supporter” graphics too so locals can put them on blogs and websites.
6) We’ll need some logistical help on May 11, 2011 at our Finale BBQ such as people to BBQ, serve food, set-up, clean-up, count underwear, etc… Anyone have connections to get donated food for the finale BBQ? Or does someone want to seek out businesses to help make this happen? We’ll need 100 hot dogs, buns, condiments, chips and drinks. Or maybe a local business would like to sponsor the food?
7) Other ideas. We definitely welcome your creative ideas. How can we do this together? What’s in your heart? How you can use your talents, passions and abilities for the sake of the undies drive?
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We are very excited to announce an underwear drive coming up from April 1 to May 11, 2011. We’ll be rolling out details very soon and looking to be partners together in this effort. We’re hoping to see a dozen or so “drop-off” locations in the area, so if your household, business, office, school or church would like to be a drop-off or you have some other creative idea for getting involved, we’d love to hear from you. A “drop off” is basically a location where others in the community can bring donations to.
Be on the lookout for more details. Let’s embrace this vision together, get creative, and make a difference in the lives of homeless students.
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There is a masked Project 680 hoody bandit on the loose at First Baptist Church of Fair Oaks. We heard about this person through email and we don’t even know this person’s name (yet). This unknown advocate has told two other Bible studies groups about the hoody drive, which has stirred others to gather a trunk full of hoodies that will be dropped off by our finale celebration on Wednesday.
We don’t know who you are, but we sincerely thank you.
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Doing anything on Sunday? Why not attend First Covenant Church’s “Harvest Carnival” from 5-8pm?They’ll have a ton of free rides and a festive family-friendly environment. Expect thousands of people. This event is huge!!! Why do we mention this? Because we’re elated to have been selected by First Covenant as the charity to benefit from their carnival. Thank you First Covenant!!! See www.firstcov.org for details. The text below was taken straight from their website:
FREE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
? GIANT ferris wheel ($2 fee applies to this ride)
? giant slides
? 120-foot obstacle course
? train rides
? carnival games
? surfing machine
? jump houses
? concerts
? trunk-n-treat car maze
? special area for preschoolers
? cupcake walk
? crossfit arena (12 yrs & up)
? fire department & police car display
? much, much more
Help support Project680.org and the 783 documented homeless students living in the Folsom/Rancho Cordova school district. Participate in the HOODIE DRIVE by donating a new hooded sweatshirt & receive 5 free raffle tickets. You can also donate new socks & underwear to receive 1 free raffle ticket.
Food & drinks will be available for purchase. Children are encouraged to bring a trunk-n-treat bag for prizes.
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Body Investment Studio is taking part in the Project 680 Hoody Drive for homeless students in the FCUSD. This drive from now through October 27, 2010 seeks to collect 680 new hooded sweatshirts (“hoodies”) for local homeless students in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District.
Body Investment Studio has opened their doors as a drop-off location and they are offering free yoga classes to donors. They are offering a free kid’s yoga class each Monday in October from 4:30-5:15pm and a free adult class on November 1, 2010 from 6-7:15pm.
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We are pleased to share the official Project 680 Hoody Driveflyer. Click the image below to see a large .jpg or click HERE to download a PDF. You are definitely invited to share the flyer with friends via email, Facebook or however you’d like. Thank you so much for your support.
Together we can make a difference in the lives of homeless students.
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A quick update. After conversation with the District Liaison for Homeless Services and discussion with the Project 680 Board, we’ve decided to do a hoody drive in the Fall of 2010 for our first semester project. We’ll also be focusing on a Shoe Drive in December as we did last year, but our big community emphasis will really be to gather a certain amount of hoodies for local homeless students. Details will unfold in the next few weeks and we really want to make this something celebratory and participatory for the community.
Thank you everyone for your support. Let’s continue to find practical ways to advocate for local homeless students in the FCUSD!!!
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Aon is an international company and they have an office located in Sacramento. They approched Project 680 a couple of months ago to discuss partnering with us for their “United Day” where they do outreach in the community. This morning they invited us out for breakfast and to pick up some fantastic health kit bags for local homeless students. These bags will be directed to families within the Folsom Cordova School District through partnership with the District Liaison for Homeless Services. These hygiene / health kits are very relevant and they will promote health among local families in need.
Thank you Aon and Marie & Bonnie for their hard work putting this effort together. See Aon’s website at www.aon.com for details on their company. Aon employees have been a remarkable example of doing something very practical to meet some basic needs among local homeless students. Bravo!!!
Great work everyone!!!
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Article by Debbie Lewis (photo by Melissa Corker)
One of the things I love about working at the California Department of Education is the desire and opportunity of the staff to collectively make a difference in the world around us. I want to thank everyone for their participation in the April sock drive. CDE raised 512 pairs of socks contributing to the Project680 grand total of 2,725 pairs of socks. I also wanted to share with you a snapshot of a conversation I recently had with Charlene Hunt, Resource Teacher and Homeless Liaison, Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD).
Charlene told me a story about one rainy day in the 2003/04 school year when a kid came in and asked for another pair of socks to keep his feet warm. From the top, his shoes looked to be in good condition, from the bottom however, there were holes in his overly worn soles. This too familiar exchange inspired the first community shoe event which consisted of asking friends, family, and local community groups to donate gift cards for shoes.
Subsequent drives for shoes, socks or underwear have been held yearly. “The need for basic essentials is great among these kids. Physical Education teachers have reported that kids will choose poorer grades over the embarrassment of changing clothes revealing their often ill fitted or ragged undergarments. Items donated keep the kids warm and protected so they can focus on academics rather than discomfort and shame. For kids, receiving essentials like socks, underwear and shoes let’s them know that they are cared for, not just equipped with the basics of education.”
The most encouraging part of our discussion was when she shared how liaisons watch over these kids throughout their educational years. In the course of the last 11 years, the academic performances and attentive engagement of hundreds of students have increased. And each year since the program started every single senior with the exception of 2 kids has graduated high school. Our district liaisons stay connected with the kids until they get to college or a vocational school. Clearly intervention makes a difference to help these impoverished yet gifted and talented kids finish school.
When asked for a quote about project680, the catalyst for our CDE sock drive, Charlene spoke of the founder Ryan Lundquist. “He observed the need, listened with his heart and shared the need with friends who listened with their hearts. They simply spread the word and put it out there.” Thank you for listening with your heart CDE.
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We are elated to announce that Sims Metal Management in Rancho Cordova has generously donated $1,000 toward the Project 680 Sock Drive. Isn’t that amazing? Thank you Sims Metal!!!
This money, along with all other donations before and during the bike ride, will be directed to a discretionary fund so that the District Liaison for Homeless Services can meet the needs of students in her caseload when they come to her. Our main goal in the sock drive is to build up a storehouse of socks to be used over the next year or more, but also to create a discretionary fund to meet the needs of homeless students on an “as needed” basis for very practical things they might need like shoes, clothing, deodorant…..
Sims Metal Management recycles scrap metal locally and around the world. While on the phone with their office in Rancho Cordova, they shared that one of their core values is to give back to the community. We get that.
Thank you to Sims Metal Management and Dave Rogers specifically.
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A few weeks ago KCRA news anchor Deidre Fitpatrick filmed some of the Project 680 team “Raiding the Sock Aisle” at Target in Rancho Cordova, and the story aired last night. As you’ll see in the video, “Raiding the Sock Aisle” was coined by Erin Attardi. The story turned out really great. I love how it highlights the simplicity of making a difference in the community, our goal of collecting at least 2000 pairs of socks, and how social media can be used to advocate for local homeless kids too. Great job team!!! Watch the video below.
You can read more about the sock drive and community bike ride HERE.
If you are on Twitter, we are using “#bikingforsocks” as our official hashtag for the upcoming sock drive / bike ride. You can follow Project 680 on Twitter at @project680 and become a fan on Facebook too. Don’t forget to follow those in the video too: Erin Attardi at @erinattardi and Geoff Sakala at @rcpost and Deidre Fitzpatrick at @fitztweeter (and then there’s me, Ryan, if you want at @sacappraiser)
By the way, it’s cool to see that the Sacramento Association of Realtors highlighted Erin’s involvement in a story entitled “Sacramento Realtors in the News“.
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