Westfield Friends' Fourth Graders are "Ever Thankful"

Mrs. Liz Martino’s fourth grade class is “Ever Thankful” at Thanksgiving time and all year long. The students collect money for UNICEF through the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Program which had its start in 1950 as a way for children to help other children in need of basic life necessities. Fourth graders made a presentation to the entire school prior to Halloween and told their fellow students and teachers about the numbers that are critical to UNICEF…

• Give a child 40 days of clean, safe water for $1.00
• Feed a malnourished child for 5 days for $5.00
• Vaccinate 280 children for $10.00
• Protect 100 kids from malaria for $100.00
• Install a water pump to serve a whole village for $500.00
• And the most important number of all – zero – the goal of zero needy children in the world.

“After our presentation in Meeting about UNICEF “by the numbers,” our class realized how very blessed we all are. Not just at Thanksgiving, but all year through! Come read our essays and you’ll see... this is one thankful class!” said Mrs. Martino. The students’ essays are displayed on the bulletin board next to the library – please stop by to read them when you visit the school for the Thanksgiving Play.

Some excerpts from the students’ essays:

“I am thankful to wake up and have the sun shining in my room and eat breakfast and get ready for school… but in some countries children don’t have clean water or enough food. I am thankful for school, friends and books to help me be smarter and learn about UNICEF and how they help children in need. So, when your parents say finish all of your food – you should finish it!” – Ashley

“I am grateful that I don’t have to suffer from diseases like some children do in other countries.” – Olivia

“After reading about the needs that UNICEF tries to meet, I realize that I am ever thankful for having all of my needs fulfilled. I now want less. I also know that if the money for what I want goes into the UNICEF box instead of a cash register, a child in another country will be ever thankful. I now have added to my list of basic needs the unmet needs of other children.” - Ben

Fourth graders learned that UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and improve children’s lives. In cooperation with governments and non-governmental organizations, UNICEF saves and protects the world’s most vulnerable children, working to ensure child rights and providing health care, immunizations, nutrition, access to safe water and sanitation services, basic education, protection and emergency relief.