“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” —Desmond Tutu
Today memories on social media reminded me of a moment in time where creativity shined through brightly to ensure that children had access to Positive Childhood Experiences and Protective Factors during a time where isolation was at an all time high, and it spread 500 miles away from Sonoma County all the way to Los Angeles County.
I wanted to find a way to meet community where they were yet still offer a way to connect during what would usually be the Peacetown Summer Concert Series and Family Village. I coordinated a successful Easter egg hunt To-Go that benefited over 250 families and again the following year that benefitted over 300 families, where myself and my kids stuffed Easter eggs with goodies, partnered with over 50 organizations between the 2 years to provide resources, and give the kids and families a dozen Easter eggs to hide so they could do it themselves at home and still feel connected to community. I thought hmm, I bet I can replicate this concept in lieu of the summer Family Village. That's when the Peace Bag concept came to life. Every week for 13 weeks a local organization such as First 5 would "sponsor" that weeks bag by providing an activity that promoted PCE and a resource for families. My kids would help me assemble the bags, which was a fun thing for them and a way to feel a connection to community. They would also come with me to distribute them, which often led to a quick masked socially distanced glimpse of a friend. Some weeks we had to cancel because of fires and poor air quality. Yet we still managed to benefit about 3,000 families for just one summer of Peace Bags.
As if that wasn't cool enough the universe led me to discover that the Peace Bag concept was being replicated 500 miles away in Santa Clarita. I reached out to the woman who made the post and she shared that she just happen to FB message one of the sponsors of the Peace Bags for a totally different topic and saw what they were a part of and got inspired to do the same! This person was Renee Marshall, a consultant who works with teacher preparation programs at several community colleges, serves as an informal statewide lead, Education Visionary, and Humanization Specialist. Her and I became fast friends.
The goal was to bring joy and community engagement to Santa Clarita Valley youth and teens, over the course of 3 weeks.
Over three Thursdays the PEACE BAGS team distributed:
*900 PEACE BAGS to SCV youth (ages 5-18) with community engagement and well being activities/supplies
*1500 books (Thank you Panda Express Newhall and Santa Clarita Valley Education Foundation!)
*250 meals and panda masks on Panda Cares day
*School supplies for 300
*Well being (relaxing) coloring books and art supplies for 100
This was such a good reminder that every good intention put out big or small creates a ripple effect that can be felt in our world. May this blog post inspire you to continue doing the good work. You never know who is watching and becomes inspired to do the same.
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