During our annual Christmas toy drive, Kidzz Helping Kidzz occasionally receives donated toys that cannot be distributed to children at Puget Sound area hospitals because they do not contain the original tags or the wrapping/box that comes with the toy. This year we were approached by a team of Medical professionals who were traveling to Senegal, Africa.
They asked if we had any small toys that they could bring in a suitcase to Africa to give to the ill children they would be treating at a medical clinic in Senegal. We were excited to help these ill children in any way we could.
After the trip, one of the doctors who worked in the clinic sent us the following email:
I'm happy to report that the medical trip was a success. We were able to see about 300 patients during the course of the week. I have to say whether we treated children or parents that came with their children, the little toy gifts Kidzz Helping Kidzz donated worked great to cheer the kids up by giving them something tangible to leave with. Below are some of the pictures of the beautiful children we had a chance to engage with.
We also received an email from a mom who shared the impact our Kidzz Helping Kidzz toys made for her two young children.
She writes:
On Tuesday evening, February 7 I had to take my family to the hospital for a blood draw. It was the first time my two kids ages 6 and 9 went to the emergency room. The blood draws went well and we are fine. As we were about to leave the nurse asked each of my kids to pick out a Kidzz Helping Kidzz toy. These were really nice toys, good toys, and we were all surprised! Suddenly the trip to the ER took on a different feel, and the kids were excited with their toys tight in hand. Thank you for these toys which are still fun and have a nice story to go with them. What a great difference you are making, in my case, two kids at a time.
We then got word from an amazing kiddo in Poulsbo named Chloe. She decided to support Kidzz Helping Kidzz by having a toy drive at her school in the month of February. Chloe gave a presentation to her entire school about Kidzz Helping Kidzz and how they could support our important work.
Here is a picture of Chloe with a Kidzz Helping Kidzz toy collection box that she decorated for Valentine’s Day! Chloe is definitely a “go-getter”! We think she is going to be the first woman President some day!
The Kidzz Helping Kidzz Advisory Board is doing amazing work to help Bremerton families in need.
With food scarcity being an important issue, we wanted to help pack backpacks with food for the Bremerton Backpack Brigade.
The Bremerton Backpack Brigade is a nonprofit organization that provides a supplemental food source on weekends for children who suffer from food insecurity throughout the eight Bremerton Elementary schools.
Food insecurity is a growing challenge in our community. Currently, the Bremerton Backpack Brigade provides approximately 363 families with backpacks filled with food pantry donations each week.
Here is a video with the Bremerton Backpack Brigade’s Executive Director, Myra Battin sharing with Kidzz Helping Kidzz about her amazing organization.
After Myra gave us a tour, Kidzz Helping Kidzz Advisory Board members filled backpacks with kid friendly food bank donations, including fresh fruit and vegetables, shelf-stable milk and juice.
Each backpack has a number on it which identifies the number of members in the family. Kidzz Helping Kidzz packed the appropriate amount of food according to the number of family members placed on each backpack.
The backpacks, filled with food pantry donations will then be delivered to the elementary schools tomorrow morning, where school staff will discreetly distribute them to the students who are enrolled in the backpack program.
Each backpack contains enough food for the entire family.
The students return the backpacks to their school on Mondays, to be picked up and refilled for the following weekend. Kidzz Helping Kidzz has partnered with the Bremerton Backpack Brigade since 2018.
After the kids packed the backpacks with food, Myra asked if they could help with sorting new food that had just been donated.
The kids from our Advisory Board are passionate about helping kids with food insecurity and delight in packing free, nutritious meals to low income families.
If you have a kid (or are one yourself) please contact to learn more about participating in one of our programs that makes a difference in the lives of other kids and families.