| Fair Trade Fundraiser Program: Idea Share - On Equal Exchange Packing as Community Builder |
By Emily Schnee, Brooklyn New School, Brooklyn NY
As the kids have gotten older, many of us have begun to work more, our
kids have gotten more independent, and we don't get to school as often
as we did when they were little. Taking one morning to work with other
parents to pack up the order has been a nice way to reconnect with our
children's school community, to find out what's going on in old friends'
lives, and to feel like we are contributing in a very concrete and
productive way both to the school and fair trade. Though it can sound
onerous to pack up thousands of dollars worth of coffee beans and
chocolate bars, the spirit of the day has always been upbeat and
positive.
Over the years, we've realized that it is important to have a big enough space so that we can lay out the boxes in the order that the items appear on the form. Rather than criss-crossing over one another and tripping over boxes in a too small space, as we did in the beginning, we now set up a circle of boxes that follows the order of the items on form. Each person doing the packing, grabs a bag (that another parent has already labeled with a child's name and teacher) and the corresponding order form and follows the circuit placing the items that the child has sold in the bag. The order form is then stapled to the bag and all the bags that go to the same classroom are placed together.
After all the packing is done, the bags are brought up to the classrooms for distribution to the individual children who have participated in the fundraiser. At this point, the classroom teachers are responsible for making sure the bags get sent home.
Coming together with other parents one Friday morning before the
holidays to pack the Equal Exchange order has actually been a fun,
community building event at our large, public, elementary school in NYC.
Share you stories with us! Email fundraising@equalexchange.coop and tell us about the unique ways you are motivating members of your group.
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