Posted in Calendar

Caring for Kids Calendar 2019-2020

February:

 Happy Hearts Dinner Auction

CPTC McGavick Center 5:00 P.M.

March:

2nd Read Across America

Distribute 2,000 books

June:

Cruising for Kids (Limited number of tickets)

June & July:

Collect lost and found from 28 schools/sort and wash

August:

9:00 A.M. Ready to Learn Fair Clover Park High School

5:00 P.M. Ready to Learn Celebration Springbrook Park

Ready to Learn Celebration Tillicum Community Center

October:

Ram Takeover “Oktoberfest”

4:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.

November:

Color Book and Crayon Drive Starts

Deliver color books and crayons to food banks and community organizations.

December:

Set-up for Holiday Fair

Holiday Fair at Hudtloff Middle School

February 2020:    

Happy Hearts Dinner Auction

CPTC McGavick Center 5:00 P.M.

If you are attending the Happy Hearts Dinner Auction ($40), Cruising for Kids ($100) please purchase your tickets in advance. Diane Formoso 253-279-9777 or carekids@comcast.net.

Posted in Uncategorized

Cops v.s. Teachers

MARCH 21,2019IMG_3871

Cops vs Teachers

SUPPORT CARING FOR KIDS:

Caring For Kids is an organization that started over 40 years ago with a little girl who boarded Diane Formoso’s bus on a cold morning without a coat. Her act of kindness soon evolved into a lifeline for needy students in Clover Park, Steilacoom and University Place schools.  CFK has provided tens of thousands of children with clothing, school supplies, shoes, food, Christmas presents and more. Keep Diane’s mission alive by coming to this event and supporting her cause.

PRIVILEGE TO DISTRIBUTE THESE MATERIALS, CLOVER PARK

Posted in Announcements

Thank you!

Thank you to all who helped Caring For Kids during the 2018 year! We could not have helped the “Kids” without your generous heart!

Watch for our 2018 statistics page to be published soon.

The Happy Hearts Auction is Saturday, February 2nd, at the McGavick Center. Join us for $40 per ticket and be a part of our major fundraiser of the year.

Posted in Announcements

Ready to Learn Fair Fall 2018

FREE!  FREE!  FREE!

  • Good used clothing (some new clothes and shoes)
  • New backpacks, school supplies and hygiene products
  • Haircuts
  • Sports physicals (secondary students only)
  • Immunizations – Franciscan Health
  • Books & More!
  • Free lunch
  • Resource Booths
  • Bike helmets – West Pierce Fire Department

Registration will be at the door

Who: Only students (including new kindergarten students) and families attending Steilacoom, University Place, or Clover Park School Districts who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school.

What: The Ready to Learn Fair is held to assist kids in need as they get ready for school in Clover Park, University Place and Steilacoom School Districts.

Where: Clover Park High School- PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL!
11023 Gravelly Lake Drive S.W. Lakewood WA

When: Summer…2019
9:00 am – 1:00 pm– (for parents and families)

 

What Parents Need to Know:

We will have volunteers on the floor assisting the families as they enter the hallway for supplies and the gymnasium for clothing. Please do not stay longer than necessary. This is not fair to the other families waiting in line. We need to keep lines moving. Please park in the 112th street parking lot and remember that Clover Park School District is a non-smoking facility, which includes the school grounds. Thank you for your cooperation.

Check out our website at www.carekids.org

Important: Remember to bring your current immunization records if your child needs shots.

Clover Park School District does not sponsor this event/activity/offer and assumes no responsibility for it. In consideration for the privilege to distribute these materials, Clover Park School District shall be held harmless from any cause of action filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials, including all costs, attorney’s fees and judgments or awards.

Posted in Uncategorized

Ready to Learn Fair this August

Kids get a good start with school from the Ready to Learn Fair which provides them with good used clothing, school supplies, hair cuts, immunizations, eye screening, hygiene products, books to read, food and a host of other small services.

It’s August 8, 2015 from 9am to 1pm at Lochburn Middle School.

For more info look for the Ready to Learn Fair link under Events, or just click here.

Posted in Announcements

Retired School Bus Driver’s Clothing Bank Helps Low-Income Students

Story at NEAtoday by Angela Harvey

During her years as a school bus driver, it upset Diane Formoso to see some children without coats or proper shoes shivering in the chilly morning air as they waited for her bus. She reached out to several of these students, buying them jackets, shoes, or Christmas presents. Her actions quickly grew into a clothing bank that Formoso opened at an elementary school.

Read the rest of the story

Posted in Announcements

Welcome to Caring for Kids

Caring for Kids is an all volunteer organization helping kids in need in Lakewood, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Steilacoom and University Place. All of the money we raise goes directly to help our kids, as we work through our local schools and community organizations. We provide school supplies, clothing, hygiene and dental products, food, books, ready to learn materials and holiday gifts. In addition we also collaborate with the Methodist Church Friday Dinners, the Fish Food Bank and the Food Connection Food Truck in Springbrook. Caring for Kids now has their own 501©3. All donations are tax deductible.

Caring for Kids Projects

Each year the  Holiday Fair helps more than 2,000 kids and their families with food gift baskets for the holidays.

Held in mid-August,  Ready to Learn Fair is an annual event which provides over 1800 students with new and good used clothing, new school supplies, immunizations, vision and hearing screening, dental screenings, free haircuts, $6 bike helmets, hygiene and dental products, books to read and a free lunch. Free sports physicals were provided to secondary students.

CFK Food Bank supplies immediate emergency food to families through the schools and community partners.

Emergency Food Packets are supplied to schools and after school programs. These packets contain a canned meal (chili, ravioli, chicken and noodles, etc.), a can of fruit and a cup of soup. This program meets the immediate needs of hungry kids.

The CFK Clothing Bank was established to provide free clothing to kids in need and their families.  The clothing bank runs year-round.
The School Supply bank also runs year round . In addition to pens, notebooks, etc., deodorant, toothpaste, flosses and toothbrushes are also accessible through the school supply bank. The Life Skills Class at Lakes High School manages the CFK School Supply Bank as part of their work-training program.

We provide Dental Care Kits to our kids in need. Each kit includes a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss with a loving reminder to brush and floss in the morning and at bed time.

In celebration of the NEA sponsored Read Across America on March 2nd, a 1,000 New Books are distributed to Headstart and ECEAP (at-risk preschoolers) and some of the needier kindergarten students. Our purpose is to encourage parents and students to read at home and to put a new book in the hands of our kids in need. We purchase the books for thirty-five cents through the national organization First Books.

Barbara Smith, Clover Park Homeless Liaison coordinator, ” I work daily with over 300 homeless students that our district has identified. If not for the generosity of CFK, these children would have nowhere to turn for clothing and school supplies.”

Each year approximately 500 Growing Up Is Fun Bags  are assembled and distributed to low income preschool parents. Each bag provides instructional materials and supplies to help parents prepare their kids for school.

CFK “Kids Helping Kids” Work Team is composed of special needs students from the Alfaretta House, Clover Park H.S. and Lakes H.S. The Alfaretta House runs the Kids Helping Kids Balloon Bouquets business,assembles ABC necklaces for the Growing Up Is Fun Bags, assembles toothbrush kits, collects ink cartridges and cell phones, prepares books for distribution and fills bags for the weekend backpack program. Lakes and Clover Park run the school supply bank and work at packing baby clothes and organizing the warehouse.

Baby Clothes Packets are prepared by the Caring for Kids work team. Used clothing is processed and packed into bags  (6 outfits per bag ) and distributed  through the clothing bank and WIC ( Women, Infants and Children Program)

In collaboration with Northwest Harvest we provide Weekend Bags of Food. Caring for Kids provides the bags and the work team processes and delivers the food to four elementary schools. Approximately 100 kids a weekend.

List of Needs

Money to purchase socks, shoes, school supplies, pants, underwear, and hygiene products for the Clothing Bank.
Holiday Fair donations of new clothing, gifts and money
New or good used children’s and young adult clothing. 
New or good used toys, stuffed animals and games
New School supplies
New or good used books
Non-perishable food (especially meals in a can (chili. ravioli, etc), fruit, peanut butter, tuna, etc.) for our emergency food packets and the food closet.
Hygiene products such as shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and dental floss (unused hotel amenities too)
Household goods blankets, silverware, plates, etc
Glasses and hearing aides (for the Lion’s)
Auction items for our February auction – a major fundraiser