GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — More than 200 West Michigan schools were closed Friday because of the expected snow. Most districts are closed Monday as well to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
If you're a parent at home looking for something to do during the long weekend ahead — a West Michigan mom has an idea on how to stay busy while also giving back.
Kim Peters made this post to her local Facebook group:
Peters is the Community Outreach co-lead for local tech company Vervint, and she hopes her idea will catch on.
“As a mom, my daughter is a senior this year, but I remember many a snow day where you could only, especially as a single parent, where you only had so many activities you could go through,” Peters explained.
Her idea is making bracelets for the Children's Advocacy Center of Kent County.
“We provide services for survivors of suspected child sexual abuse,” Children's Advocacy Center Development and Communications Director Kate Lange said.
The idea hit Peters when she was making the bracelets at work, as part of an activity to celebrate the opening of Vervint's new building, and most importantly, give back to the community.
It's small — making a bracelet — but these bracelets hold great meaning, and are headed to children who really need them at the Children's Advocacy Center.
“The role of these bracelets is they’re provided to our clients as they navigate these services, as positive reminders but also as a coping tool as they process their trauma,” Lange explained.
The bracelets, with positive messages on them, mean a lot to the CAC. The CAC says this weekend is also a good time to have a conversation with your child about body safety. For Peters, it's a simple way to give back for those who need it most.
“We do have a faith base in our family. So for us, we recognize very much that though these bracelets are beautiful and there’s a lot of people out there that are wearing these bracelets as friendship bracelets to concerts, and whatnot, a lot of times for these little children, they’re wearing these bracelets because something traumatic happened in their life,” she said.
For more ideas on how to volunteer with the CAC, click here list of activities on its website.
