After The Boston Marathon Bombings: Resources for Parents and Teachers to Help Students (Steve Guditus @sguditus)

As adults, we feel helpless after a tragedy such as the Boston Marathon Bombings.  There is so much
pain, grief and anger that we feel even as adults, it is important to stop and remember how these same feelings may be impacting our students.  Two big questions I've been considering are:


  1. How should I speak to kids about this?
  2. What can I do to help?
Below, you will find some resources and suggestions to help answer both of these questions.

 Resources to speak with kids about the Boston Marathon Bombing Tragedy:

Ideas of How To Help:

  • Many victims and survivors have an incredibly long road ahead - emotionally and physically.  As a result, financial donations seem to be one of the best ways to help at this point.  As a parent or educator, consider helping students organize to help raise money.  A few ideas follow.  (Kids should not go door-to-door asking for donations and should always be supervised by an adult.)
    • Hold a car wash
    • Get donors for a honk-a-thon
    • Hold a garage sale
    • Organize a spirit day at school and request donations to participate.  Ideas include:
      • Boston Spirit Day
      • Marathon Mondays - wear blue and yellow (Boston Marathon colors)  
      • Wear jeans for the day
      • Dress up day
      • Wear a hat day
    • Consider having students choose where to donate money.  Boston.com has a very comprehensive list of places to donate.  Consider carefully how much information to share with your child/students.
    • Donate to the Boston One Fund, which is the official donation site set up by Governor Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino: http://onefundboston.org/.
  • The American Red Cross says that their blood supply is now current.  To schedule an appointment to donate blood in the coming weeks, go to: http://redcrossblood.org.
  • Show your support through the 26.2gether campaign.
  • Write thank you cards to first responders who helped on the day of the tragedy, as well as during the week: police officers, fire fighters, state police, EMTs, nurses, doctors, and volunteers.  You can send cards to your local police, fire and EMTs, or specifically to the Boston PD, FD or medical personnel (see addresses below).
  • Write get well soon/thinking of you cards to survivors of the blasts.  You can send cards to Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital or Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  See addresses below.

Boston Medical Center
1 Boston Medical Center Place
Boston, MA 02118

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
330 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

Boston Police Department Headquarters
1 Schroeder Plaza
Boston, MA 02120

Boston Fire Department Headquarters
115 Southampton Street
Boston, MA 021185

Image Credit: http://fpcmarathoncharityteam.blogspot.com/2012/09/run-2013-boston-marathon-with-franklin.html

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