Penguin Patch® Sharing is Caring® Program – A Holiday Shop With ♥
Speaking of sharing, here’s a little back story on this program. When our CEO was a little girl, her mom, our founder Kay was on the board of the school’s parent group. They hosted a holiday shop. Kay loved seeing the kids light up as they selected gifts for their loved ones. The kids who were not in a position to shop were separated from their classmates while the other children selected gifts for their family & friends. Ms. Kay found this heartbreaking and set out to provide an exciting experience that every student could participate in. So, the Sharing is Caring program was initiated immediately and is quite simple…every school that signs up with Penguin Patch can receive free gifts for children in need. These gifts are the same quality as the current gift line, but can vary slightly on theme & design. We donate an ample amount of gifts, so that every child in this situation can get gifts for their entire family. Then on top of that, if your school runs out of free gifts, just give us a call and we will overnight them to your school at no cost to you.
We realize that this can be a sensitive subject and that it needs to be handled with lots of love and care. So, here are a few ways to organize this that will ensure the children feel included and in no way singled out. These are real examples from current schools that host a Penguin patch Holiday Shop.
Idea #1: Our school’s family resource staff person sets up a table in her office. She then allows the children to select gifts for themselves and their family during the day.
Idea #2: I ask our school counselor how many students can benefit from from the free gifts. Then we have our principal make an announcement that we are going to draw ( 25 kids need free gifts per counselor) 25 names for a raffle ticket and these students will get to shop free during the Penguin Patch Holiday Shop. Then we just set-up a table in the same room with the shop and those lucky students pick from the special table.
Idea #3: We have each teacher identify those students in need and then give them reward bucks or certificates for good behavior in the classroom. Then they use the certificates to get the family and friends gifts during the Holiday Shops
How do you get this program at your school? Just ask one of our amazing holiday shop representatives! It’s easy to do and lots of fun. Here’s all you need to do! Our Sharing is Caring Program® is the heart of all of us at the Penguin Patch®. Our biggest joy comes from giving to children. We work all year for the few weeks in the winter when holiday shops are run. Students who otherwise would not have the opportunity shop, get to pick out something special for all their loved ones and get to celebrate as do their classmates. It is the true spirit and foundation of our holiday shops. Not every school needs this program. We are excited to provide the program to those who do.
We love hearing the stories from our sponsors on how our small gesture of providing schools with free gifts has made a big impact on many lives.
Sharing their stories is why we do what we do!
Here a a few additional ideas for you and your volunteers.
- Contact the school counselor for names of children who will benefit from Sharing is Caring®.
- With that list in hand work with their teacher to find a special way to acknowledge these students. i.e. Johnny you just earned a” Winterland Ticket” from Mrs. Wilson for standing quietly in line. Mary, you were selected to participate in the ” Winterland Shopping” from Principal Jones, for the outstanding way you showed our new student around our campus.
- Give them a special “ticket” for their shopping. Decorate it. Glitter goes a long way in showing pizazz.
- They will feel special to have earned the privilege of shopping at “ Winterland Shopping” or whatever… that’s the true goal – lifting someone’s spirit.
- We ask that you set up a special table and place the gifts on it.
- We don’t want anyone paying for these items so we’d like them to be separate.
- Make the table fun and festive. Name it something fun! i.e. “ Winterland Shopping”
- Let them “wrap“ their gifts in our personalized gift bags.
-Melanie-
