Katrina-What do the children need?

HI everyone!! I am going to be attending a meeting with my son and the meeting is about a project to help the children of Katrina that have lost everything and will not be able to attend school for quite a while. Can anyone please give me some ideas as to what these children may need, besides the obvious things? I want to bring some good quality ideas to the table, something that will really benefit the children there. Also can anyone give me some good, fun, creative ways that 5th and 6th graders can raise money for the cause too? Thank you all in advance for all of the suggestions and I hope that in our small way here, we can help out abundantly!! Thank you all, Allie from Texas

Hello Halle, Penny drives are always a success with the children. Have them donate their pennies they save to a big jar kept at the school for the children of the Katrina tragedy. Lots of nonperishables is a great idea too, along with numerous amounts of water donations. They need as much of that as they can get along with first aid kits, blankets, medicines and anyother necessities. Collect toiletries for the families. Things people would never think of. I work for community services in my down and we have a food closet that we collect various non perishables and things people don't think of to donate to families in need. But monetary will be the biggest need for the time being until the people can get settled in better shelters. OUR PRAYERS AND LOVE GO OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI AND ALL LYING AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS AWFUL TRAGEDY. Hugs KimC Milford CT