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There’s no one right way to help others! Following are several tips from American Girl that children can use to help their communities. • Next time you’re planning a birthday party, think about asking guests to bring donations of canned goods for a local food pantry, clothes for Goodwill, or pet food for an animal shelter instead of presents for you. Call your favorite charity ahead of time to see what it needs and write a wish list on party invitations.
• Turn your talents into cash that you can donate! Sell crafts or baked goodies at a garage sale, local parade, or other community events. Donate the profits to a cause you support.
• Public libraries often take book donations. Sort through your own bookshelf and donate a few volumes yourself!
• Ask a local park or recreation office how you and your friends can spruce up a park in town. Ask parents to bring tools and handle heavy jobs.
• Do you love to perform? Ask a parent if you can play an instrument, dance, or read poetry to raise money for your favorite charity.
• Set up a story hour for the kids on your block or volunteer to read a story to your younger siblings. Talk to a librarian at your school or public library to find out if you can volunteer for a reading tutoring program.
• Share a smile and brighten a senior’s day! Make greeting cards for residents of a local nursing home, visit a nursing home just to talk and tell stories, or spend an afternoon playing cards at a local senior center.
• Many people give food and clothing to needy families over the holidays. But when your family donates, think about what else people might need—a tree, some holiday decorations, or even shoes.
• You don’t have to donate thousands of pairs of slippers to warm a kid’s toes—and heart. All it takes is one pair. Why not buy some slippers yourself and donate them to a local hospital or shelter?
AMERICAN GIRL’S NEW “GIRL OF THE YEAR”
CHARACTER INSPIRES GIRLS TO HELP OTHERS
Whether it’s assisting with disaster-relief efforts, rescuing animals in need, or helping an elderly neighbor, girls today are making a significant impact on our world.
A recent national survey of girls ages 8 to 13, conducted by Synovate and American Girl, found that volunteerism and social consciousness are at an all-time high. By age 13, more than 90% of girls volunteer approximately 14 times a year, and nearly all view volunteering as something that’s very important to them.
To celebrate the caring spirit of girls, American Girl introduced Nicki—2007 Girl of the Year. A contemporary girl who’s compassionate, dependable, and a natural with animals, Nicki has an inspiring story to tell that’s all her own. Nicki’s story will resonate with girls ages 8 and up as she struggles with friendships and finding balance in her busy life while training a service dog for a person in need.
To celebrate Nicki and her story’s inspirational message, American Girl is honoring real girls and their accomplishments through the 2007 Real Girl of the Year Award. Through March 31, 2007, moms (as well as dads or legal guardians) are invited to enter online and describe the ways in which their daughter demonstrates the strong values that Nicki represents—compassion, responsibility, and a drive to help others.
Three lucky winners will receive donations of $5,000 to a cause they support and $5,000 to the school they attend, an appearance at an American Girl Place event in their honor and in the American Girl catalogue, a trip to an American Girl Place, and Nicki’s complete product collection. Five honorable-mention winners will receive Nicki’s complete collection.
Enter the Online Contest Here!
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