Students In The Caldwells Help Homeless Peers – Caldwells, NJ Patch

CALDWELLS, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Caldwell-West Caldwell District. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Caldwell – West Caldwell students participated in the Adopt a Night Night Package Program though the district run after school program, Expeditionary Learning. Expeditionary Learning (ELP) is an after school program that takes place at all of the district elementary schools which fosters the development of perseverance, problem solving skills, group collaboration and self-direction.

This year ELP facilitators guided students to explore personal learning passions while still following a common theme of giving back to the community. Students planned and organized a variety of school events to raise money for Project Night Night’s Adopt a Night Night Package Program. Founded in 2005, by Kendra Stitt Robins, Project Night Night (PNN) is an award- winning nonprofit organization that equips children ages 0-12 living in homeless and low-income situations with the essentials they need to be ready to learn, to feel less stressed, and to be reminded of their value. Each Night Night package contains a blanket, a book and a stuffed animal, all in a special tote bag. Each bag is designed to be age appropriate, up to pre-teen boys and girls. Every year, Project Night Night provides 25,000 children across the country with Night Night packages, free of charge, when they arrive at a homeless shelter.

The schools collectively raised $3,173 through school fundraising and donations. The students organized a family movie night and bake sale at Lincoln School, Halloween photo booth and a student run school store at Wilson School, Crayon “Grahams” at Washington School and a student run school store at Jefferson. All items sold at the school events were created, designed, and assembled by the ELP students. As a culminating activity ELP students ran an assembly at each school where they presented a slideshow, thanked the school community and showed off the Project Night Night totes! We would also like to thank all the Caldwell-West Caldwell families who contributed to the school events and Dr. Newman from Newman Orthodontics in West Orange for his generous donation to help purchase the tote bags.

The students were able to purchase enough supplies to stuff 106 tote bags. Each tote has the required blanket, book and stuffed animal along with a bottle of Shampoo, toothpaste and a toothbrush. Over the next few weeks the PNN totes will be delivered to homeless shelters in Essex and Bergen county.

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Caldwells Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com