As we head once again into peak hurricane season here in the U.S., Scholastic Book Fairs is teaming up—as we have since 2016—with the Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) to get books into the hands of students and teachers who have recently been heavily impacted by natural disasters.
Every year, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and tornadoes destroy U.S. schools and the communities they serve. Although these events can deliver a severe emotional toll to the whole community, they are especially traumatic for the many children who are, for the first time in their lives, coping with the stress of losing their homes and personal belongings and having their daily routines turned upside-down.
It can be incredibly difficult for students to return to school while other parts of their lives remain in turmoil during the long months it takes to climb back from natural disasters. This is why KINF’s Second Responder program is so crucial to helping communities recover.
The KINF program is dedicated to getting schools what they need to create a safe space where life can begin returning to normal. With the school supplies and books that they need immediately at hand, students and teachers can return to their educational routines quickly without worrying about supply-gathering or additional recovery expenses for their classrooms. A new backpack or a favorite book can have a huge impact on a child whose family has been affected by the trauma of a natural disaster.
KINF’s Second Responder program operates during the recovery periods that follow natural disasters. The program follows immediately on the heels of First Responders (EMTs, fire fighters, Coast Guard, peace officers, the Red Cross, and others) as soon as possible following an event to deliver much-needed school supplies and books for students severely impacted by it.
Scholastic recently donated 15,000 new books to the Second Responder program to be distributed directly to schools and teachers that will be impacted by natural disasters this year.
Since teaming with KINF’s Second Responder Program in 2016, Scholastic Book Fairs has donated nearly 70,000 books to help communities seriously impacted by natural disasters. Our books have reached students and teachers affected by the Louisiana and West Virginia floods in 2016, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Florence in 2017 and 2018, and the Alabama tornadoes in 2019.
If you would like to learn more about the Kids in Need Foundation, their important work, and how you can get involved, please visit KINF.ORG.
