5for1: Joplin and me

I am sure that you all have heard about the devastating tornado that destroyed much Joplin, MO in May of this year. The complete devastation is absolutely crippling down there. Being a Missouri resident this tragedy has hit too close to home. Here some sites with information about the tornado and the enormous amount of loss that Joplin has endured.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43132174/ns/weather
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=chr-yie9&va=joplin+tornado
http://news.yahoo.com/five-deaths-joplin-tornado-linked-fungal-infection-154410730.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/23/joplin-tornado-restoration_n_907816.html

Last week, a friend of mine called to tell me that @ Kauffman Stadium they are hosting a Back-to-School Drive to benefit the residents of Joplin. See the info for that here.

She asked if I still had teaching supplies that I would be willing to donate to the teachers as they have lost everything. I had been trying for 2+ years to giveaway my teaching supplies to veteran teachers, schools, new teachers, etc and you know no one would take it. I have/had a ton! A lot of which is still brand new in the package. Why they never took me up on FREE stuff is beyond but but I think it was kismet. Some where, some one knew that these teachers would be in need and that my stuff could and would make many a teacher happy! So here are pics of everything we donated.

Games and play things.

Children's books - picture and chapter books.

Teaching resoures

more teaher resources

more teacher resources

file folders, manilla folders, sheet protectors

Bulletin board border, transparencies, pocket charts, and more games

 TONS of bulletin boards and poster board. Obviously most still new in package.

There it is. My other life packed up into 9 huge, heavy boxes and stuffed into my suburban. Yes that is a burb not a Tahoe. I hope my donations help someone.
And on a personal side note: The people at the stadium that helped us were wonderfully delightful and more than helpful! I encourage everyone to donate through them in their future philanthropy.

And then last week on TWITTER I spotted some one promoting this

Now this is a fundraiser we crafty peeps can sink out Sharpies into!

You can Design a Poster for Competition.

OR

Attend an Event

or

Sponsor a Classroom through Adopt-A-Classroom

CLICK HERE to check it out.