room in the inn - Stuff Parents Need

You may remember that about a week ago I did some shopping for oral care supplies to donate to a local nonprofit organization as part of the #SpinbrushCFK Simple Service Project. I purchased several items at Walmart, and if you missed it, you can read all about my Champion for Kids shopping trip here.

We donated the oral care products to Room in the Inn, which is a transitional housing facility for women and their children who are experiencing homelessness. It was my aim to get Darah very involved in this project, and for this to be an opportunity to talk about sharing and gratitude. I started off by laying out all of the products we were going to donate for Darah to see (I’ll tell you about the aluminum foil, which likely seems out of place, later).

Darah was quick to notice the Arm & Hammer brushes that had stickers, and picked them up to give them hugs.

When I told Darah that we would be sharing these toothbrushes with other children, her face fell. She let me know in no uncertain terms that she wanted to keep these toothbrushes. I’m actually really glad that she felt that possessiveness take over, as it gave us the opportunity to really talk about sharing.

I asked her to think about the times when she has gone to someone’s house to play, and how wonderful it was when they shared with her. I also asked her to think about all the times that mommy has come home from the thrift store with new treasures, all because someone else donated them to share. I told her how thankful I was that people share with us all the time, and she said that she was thankful, too.

Then I told her that part of loving other people is to share with them whenever you are able. We had the opportunity that day to share with other people, and isn’t that so wonderful? At this point, she really got excited about sharing, and it made my heart melt. If Tim and I can raise children with compassionate hearts, we will have left the greatest legacy.

So we got in the car and went to Room in the Inn. Upon our arrival, Darah immediately spotted the playground!

We then headed inside and met with Mary, the administrative assistant and former client. She had an amazing story to share and I’m so glad we had the opportunity to visit with her.

Then I asked Darah to unpack all the things we brought to share.

The products I selected were based on a conversation I had with the staff at Room in the Inn before I went shopping. I called to see which oral care products they needed the most, and I’m so glad I did, because the answer surprised me. They said they actually had an over-abundance of toothpaste, adult toothbrushes and dental floss, but that they had nothing for children. They also mentioned to me that they could really use some aluminum foil, so I picked some up for them while I was shopping (check out how I found a really good buy on aluminum foil in my Google+ shop link!).

Before you make an in-kind donation, you might want to give the site a call to make sure you are getting what they really need the most. The answer may surprise you, and your call will definitely ensure that your donation gets put to use!

I want to encourage you to check out the Champions for Kids nonprofit and think about small act you can do to help better your community. You can follow them on Twitter or Facebook, too. And if you liked those fabulous toothbrushes with the stickers, get connected with Spinbrush and Arm&Hammer via Facebook and Twitter, too!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions For Kids #CBias #SocialFabric. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Did you know that children living in poverty are twice as likely as their more affluent peers to suffer from tooth decay? I’m not very surprised to hear this, as MANY people in this nation, even those who have basic medical insurance, lack dental insurance, and a trip to the dentist can be a real budget-buster.

But these kids who have untreated oral disease suffer daily from pain and from the embarrassment of having discolored or damaged teeth. While I don’t have the funds to help cover dental bills for another family, I CAN help on the prevention side, and so can you!

I’m part of the Champions for Kids program, which seeks to gather folks together to donate oral care supplies to local nonprofits who work with children. I’m participating in the Spin into Action SIMPLE Service Project, and through this, I’m going to be donating some oral care items to Room in the Inn, a Chattanooga residential program for women and children experiencing homelessness.

Room in the Inn is an impressive program, because it works with the women in the program for anywhere from 3 to 9 months to help them find stability and reduce the likelihood that they will find themselves homeless again in the future. Health care, life skills training, parenting classes, mentoring and assistance with finding affordable housing are all offered. I really respect what the program does!

Two days ago I went shopping at Walmart for some oral care supplies to donate, and you can check out my shopping experience here, if you like! Here are a few highlights:

Cute Arm & Hammer spinbrushes! You can customize your look with stickers!

It’s important to look for flouride-free toothpastes for little ones who might not remember to spit it out after brushing!

Anti-cavity rinses are a great way to help prevent tooth decay in children.

I hope you are inspired by this post and might be able to make a donation of oral care products to an organization in need in your community. If you decide to be one of the Champions for Kids, please go to www.championforkids.com/simple and let us know that you are one of millions who has made a positive difference! You can also keep up with what’s happening with this program by following Champions for Kids and Spinbrush/Arm&Hammer on Twitter!

Stay tuned for an update next week where I tell you more about my donation experience!