Inevitably, if you have children in school, there’s bound to be a fundraising event that means your child brings home the “ever-popular-request-for-donations”.
Last week our daughter’s school had their annual Spring Fest to raise money to support their land lab. This area in front of their school has gardens, walking paths, trees and a pond and it’s an amazing little “earth” educational site for our kids.
So, guess what I received prior to the event? You guessed it… that “ever-popular-request-for-donations”! They were going to hold raffles to win gift baskets and needed families to donate items. So, a few seconds of wearing my thinking-cap made me realize that this was an opportunity to make a green statement.
Our family put together a basket that included reusable bags, CFLs, a stainless steel reusable water bottle and green cleaners. Instead of using an actual basket, we put it all inside a cardboard box wrapped it in brown paper and included shredded paper (all recyclable) for a little extra flair! I think it looked pretty cute!
We completed our mission by including a paper that explained everything in the box and why they are important. We were really proud of our creativity that really didn’t require any creativity at all. To us they’re “no brainers”, but they sent a wonderful message and hopefully made an impact for everyone that took a look.
The next time you receive that “request”, consider the statement you can make too. And a basket like this would also make a great gift!
Little did I know my friend, Jasmina, would win the basket (and she’s already a fellow “eco-mama!), but it was rewarding to see all the other families interested in winning some “green” too!
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Great thinking, Doreen. At EnergyCircle, we’re designing a program for kids to raise money for their schools by selling energy efficiency products. Let me know if your school might be interested in piloting with us! Lisa
Fantastic idea! I would love to win a basket like that at our school events!
WOW, What a great idea. Those gift boxes would be great for Birthdays, Christmas, Etc. I think that is what I will be doing any time a need a gift.
Lisa – thanks for the info… I’ll check it out!
Cole – thank you! And yes, it would be nice to win something like this other than all of those typical things that create more clutter!
Shari – and thanks to you too! I’m so happy this is an idea you can use! I think it would be appreciated too!
Ohhh, Doreen!!!!! What a fabulous idea! I have to bring/donate an auction item for a conference I am attending in July – do you mind if I pay it forward?!?!
You are just amazing!!!!
Cheers, Kimberly
I would love to see what information you provided on the paper….just facts about using the products?
Kimberly – happy you liked the idea and PLEASE DO pay it forward! And here is what the “paper” inside said… I can also email it to you if you’d like!
- Recyclable shopping bags – use these to replace the plastic bags you receive every time you visit a store. The U.S. distributes 380 billion plastic bags each year and they take over 500 years to biodegrade in landfills!
- CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) – they last eight to nine times longer than incandescent light bulbs and use a fraction of the energy.
- Stainless steel / BPA-free water bottle — 2.5 million plastic bottles get used and thrown away every HOUR in the US! They also take 500-1000 years to biodegrade. Stainless steel bottles do not contain BPA, a dangerous chemical found in common plastics (like those used in water bottles!)
- “Green” cleaning products – they are plant and mineral-based, biodegradable and less harsh on the environment and your family. White vinegar and water does wonders too!
- Recycling – this box and all packing materials are recyclable too!
Hope that helps! …and thanks again! I visit your blog often but have had problems leaving comments! – but I DO visit!
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I would like to invite you to check out our website at theonlywaytoclean (dot) com
In addition to the great products and responsible packaging, we are working on putting a website together for school fundraisers, selling the products and donating back to the school or PTO. They come in a great kit, similar to this idea.
Great blog, thanks.
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