If you're like me, you've probably heard of the "The GNAW Project" and "The Weave", but didn't really know what it was all about. Well today I am excited to welcome author Cynthia Meyers-Hanson as our guest blogger. Grab a cup of coffee and come close as Cindy shares with us the motivation behind these inspiring projects and what we can all do to get involved and help.
When free breakfast was canceled and ‘their reduced’ priced lunches went up in cost, some kids came running to my class complaining. We brainstormed ideas to help the situation. This book project- done by my students- becomes their vehicle to publicize the plight of some USA kids that need free or reduced breakfasts as well as lunches and dinners.
In Seminole County, my students at SHS in 2008 called their efforts The GNAW Project, which stands for Granola bars, Nuts, Apple sauce, and Water. The thought was that these non-perishables would be purchased and given to their peers in need.
You can preview The GNAW Project Kid’s book online @ http://www.scribd.com/mchanson714
You can, ALSO, read essays from The WEAVE as I randomly place them on my blogs.
What is The WEAVE?
The year before this project, my students in similar situations did a weaving project with some other classes. They turned plastic bags into thermal, weather proofed blankets for the homeless. They wanted the plight of the homeless and their solution to get out to the community; I helped produce their book entitled The WEAVE. I will be sharing their essays as news articles on my blogs @ http://mchanson714.weebly.com/blog.htm l & http://mchanson714.blogspot.com . I hope you will STAY TUNED to those blogs checking in from time to time on their mirrored messages from the kids.
Also, an essay from The WEAVE Follows:
What Quilting Meant to me!
By: Miriam
I am going to present an essay containing what quilt weaving has meant to me. In the first paragraph, it will deal with why it’s good for a homeless person. The second paragraph will be about how I feel about this assignment that we had to do. In the final paragraph, I will be discussing how the quilt was made. I think that this is good for a homeless person because it gives them something to have if they have nothing. He or she can use this quilt as a blanket, or they can use it as a bed to lie down on. When it’s cold, they can warm up from the blanket. The blanket is waterproof so they don’t have to worry about the blanket getting wet and being destroyed.
It’s a good thing for them because the quilt is free. If it’s raining and he or she has no shelter, the blanket will prevent them from not getting wet.
I think this is a good thing that my class and other classes are doing.
It’s good because it provides the homeless with either a blanket, a bed or even like a raincoat for when it rains. I like doing this project because I know I’m helping out the homeless people that are in need. I know that I’m doing something good. I know I only do a small part but with everyone’s and my help we are all doing something good. I like to know that I helped the homeless out just a little, or it could be a lot. I am happy to know that I helped out in some way or another. When we use plastic bags, it helps out our community in a way.
First, we collected plastic bags; the bags could be from anywhere.
You can get bags from any store. Once you get enough bags, you tie the bags together. Then, once they’re all tied together, you start to weave it. You can either start straight up or from the side. First, you just tie the bag in place. Then once all the bags have been tied down you start to weave it.
When weaving the quilt, you have to go up then under, you can’t go up up or under under. It has to be up then down or down then up. If you don’t do it that way the quilt wouldn’t come out right.
I have just presented my essay to you. In my essay, it has points.
The first one is why plastic blankets are good for the homeless. Next, I stated how feel about doing this for project the homeless. My final paragraph is on how you make the quilt.
DISCLAIMER: Having some issues with publishing this book, corrections were made in keeping with copyrights. HOWEVER, rest assured this book is for the kids and proceeds have already gone and will continue to go towards feeding children. You can trust me because I used to be one of them growing up with a disabled dad that went without working for periods of time. That lifestyle taught me through ‘the school of hard knocks’ that I wanted to survive and finish college. My hope is that some students fed by The GNAW Project funding will break the chains of poverty, too. Many people jump to the rescue when a plight is highlighted in the media but this book is meant to sustain the cause with hopefully unending sales and royalties earmarked for those children barely surviving their current life situation.
Find more information about books on Cindy's author page @
http://mchanson714.weebly.com/index.html including the ‘True Stories’ tab @ http://mchanson714.weebly.com/true-stories.html .
You can find Cindy's books for sale @ the following links:
Print books are @ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mchanson714 & http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mchanson714
In closing Cindy adds:
For my New Year’s resolution I’m going to continue ‘going green,’ giving my free item from BOGO sales to those less fortunate than me, and promote The GNAW Project. Please, JOIN ME in 2012!
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