FACEB O OK. CO M/ FUNFO RKI DZ • FUNFO RKI DZ.COM
Presents... 3 Check It Out! 4 From Bottle Caps to Benches 6 10 Ways to Help Others 7 Helping Hands 8 Aluk Pays a Debt 11 Help Brighten Someone’s Day 12 Mystery of the Missing Manners 14 Puzzles 16 Truck Trouble 20 Backpacks for New Beginnings 22 Stone Soup 24 Making the World a Better Place 26 Science: A Test for Your Cat 27 Science: Soldiers About Face! 28 Cowboy Clark & Larry 29 Kidz Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions 2
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It’s fun to get toys and games out to play. It’s not fun to have to clean up and put the toys away. Cooking can be enjoyable, like making a special treat. Having to wash all the dishes and pans you used can seem like an overwhelming task. But when you clean up after yourself, you are lending a helping hand to your family. You are showing that you care for them. Volunteering is caring for someone you don’t know by using your free time to help. Maybe you could join a group to collect trash in your neighborhood or help plant a tree in the park. In this issue, you will read about boys and girls helping others with their own special projects. When you help someone else it not only makes you feel good, but also makes the other person smile and feel happy. See how many different ways you can help others around you. Then send us your list of helpful things you did and a photo of you doing one. You will be a winner and receive a prize!
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Twelve-year-old Stella and Maybree are best friends. And they want to make a difference in their corner of the world. A couple of years ago, these Michigan girls had an idea. “We decided to fundraise for our humane society because we both love animals,” Maybree says. The girls got busy baking and selling dog treats. They earned $550, enough to also buy toys and supplies for animals waiting for their forever homes. That was only the beginning! Soon, the girls’ charitable organization was born. They named it Helping Hands. Last year, Helping Hands raised money for Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. The girls wanted to help patients and healthcare workers in an area hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. They created art and auctioned it off online. They made and sold soap. They even sold their used toys and clothes. Altogether, Stella and Maybree raised over $2000 for the hospital.
This year, they are using their fundraising talents to help a homeless shelter. “We love planning fundraisers and making them the most fun we can for everyone, including ourselves!” says Maybree. One of Stella’s favorite fundraising memories so far is from a front-yard bake sale. “I was dancing with a sign that said ‘donate,’ and it was on TV!” The girls bring their energy and enthusiasm to everything they do. They use social media to give updates about their fundraising activities. They post funny videos and photos and have a blast livestreaming. “We have had many people help us,” Stella says. “Our parents have helped a great ton, and our friends have given ideas and helped out in videos and fundraisers.”
Maybree (left) and Stella (right)
Stella and Maybree say it feels so great to have an impact on people’s lives. They hope Helping Hands can be an inspiration to other kids. They plan to continue fundraising and can’t wait for what’s to come!
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by Cheryl Weibye Wilke • illustrated by Neal Levin There was trouble on the playground at Elm Street School. Something was missing. There was pushing, shouting, and squirming in line. Mrs. Stoddard, the playground monitor, worked hard to keep peace. Much of the bad behavior, however, happened behind her back. When she did see it, she even took a turn at shouting. It was getting so I got butterflies in my stomach each day before recess. My best friend Katie scampered over to the monkey bars. She was nearly halfway across, when Wyatt flew from the other end, knocking her to the ground. “Hey!” I shouted. “Wait your turn.” “Turn . . . schmurn,” he said. He grinned and tore off for the slide while Katie stood up, brushing dirt from her hands. “I’m going to tell Mrs. Stoddard,” I said. “No! Don’t!” said Katie. “It won’t happen again. I just won’t go to recess anymore.” But I’d rather play outside, I thought, before following Katie inside. A sparrow chirped as if in agreement. Skipping recess was not an option. Katie and I had to come up with a plan, and over two after-school triple-chocolate milkshakes, we did! The next day on the playground, Katie and I rushed to the swings. “Anamaya, will you please push me? “Certainly,” I said. “Thank you,” she answered. We moved to the slide. “Would you like to go down?” I asked. “Why, yes. After you.” “Why, thank you,” I answered.
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From the slide, we ran to the teeter-totter, meeting at the same seat. “Oh, excuse me, Katie. Please take this one.” I skipped to the other side. Katie and I continued to be polite to everyone on the playground throughout the week. “Did you hear Grace say ‘thank you’ to Alex for helping her stop the merry-go-round?” I asked. “Yes,” said Katie. “Did you hear Nathan say ‘excuse me’ to Julia for stepping on her foot? I think our reminder plan is working. Our friends are beginning to find their good manners.” “Manners . . . schmanners!” Wyatt had overheard. “Good manners are for the birds!” Flapping his arms, he bolted backwards, knocking Mrs. Stoddard to the ground. She sat there like an octopus in a tangle of limbs. A circle of children gathered. Miguel reached out to help her. “No,” said Wyatt. “Don’t.” Everyone stood still. “Let me,” he continued. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Stoddard. May I help you?” She held her breath to the count of ten. Then she smiled. “Please. Thank you, Wyatt.” He pulled her up as if he’d practiced for years. “You’re welcome,” he said. Katie and I started to cheer. Wyatt, Mrs. Stoddard, and the children chimed in. This was the day the missing good manners were found! Hmmm . . . maybe they were there all along and just needed a little push. Errr . . . I mean a helping hand!
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A mountain of colorful backpacks surrounds brothers Jackson and Tristan Kelley. Pencils, markers, rulers, and notebooks are nearby. But these things aren’t for the boys. They have their own. The brothers will give these school supplies to kids who don’t have any. Jackson was 10 and Tristan was 8 when they decided to help kids in their area who didn’t have basic school supplies. Using their own money, they bought 25 new backpacks, crayons, pencils, and lunch bags. Neighbors, friends, and family got involved. The boys ended up with 170 filled backpacks. That was the start of the boys’ charity, Backpacks for New Beginnings. It’s called BP4NB for short.
Jackson and Tristan’s charity doesn’t just provide school supplies. There are also food backpacks filled with applesauce, soup, and other items. These are for kids facing hunger. Then there are comfort backpacks stuffed with blankets, teddy bears, and hygiene products. Children in homeless shelters might get these. BP4NB also gives away new clothes, hats, gloves, socks, toys, and other things to those in need.
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How can Jackson and Tristan afford to buy everything they give away? They ask people they know for donations and do fundraising activities. And they send letters to area businesses asking for their help. At first, asking for donations wasn’t always easy, but they kept at it. Their hard work paid off. Since beginning their charity in 2009, the brothers have donated over 10,000 backpacks to kids in need in the Greater Boston area! BP4NB is a big operation. Even the boys’ little sister Violet is involved. Every summer, volunteers help out at a huge backpack stuffing event. Then the boys deliver the backpacks to organizations that help kids. Tristan and Jackson know that having school supplies like everyone else makes a big difference in an underprivileged child’s life. They see kids smile when they receive a backpack. They get letters too. “Thank you,” one child writes. “I love the bag,” writes another. “It definitely helps us understand how fortunate we are,” Jackson says.
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