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Crafts made with caring hands

By Kristie Linden, Staff Writer Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Little hands at Pivik Elementary have been doing their part to mend little hearts affected by Hurricane Katrina. Every student at Pivik has made a craft for students in the Gulf Region who might be having trouble getting back to normal in the wake of the hurricane. Project Reassure is a joint effort between the University of Pittsburgh school of education and the Watson Institute -- and now Pivik Elementary. Principal Gail Yamnitzky is a doctoral student at Pitt and one of her friends, Mary Margaret Kerr, is on the Project Reassure team, which is a group of educators and child experts who are looking for a way to help Katrina's littlest victims. The group has focused on providing resources for caregivers and teachers to use to help students recover from their losses. Yamnitzky offered to help in any way she could and almost as a joke she offered the services of "514 little ones who would also love to help." Project Reassure jumped at the chance to have Pivik students create something personal for affected children. "When they open these boxes they will know that other kids care about them," says Yamnitzky. Jackie Ruane, art teacher, brainstormed for ideas on what the children could make for their projects. She came up with a different craft for each grade level. Pivik is sending dozens of checkerboards, picture frames, journals, friendship bracelets, notes and little cameras that open up to reveal a picture inside. Some children in the older grades gave up their recess to make extra presents to send. Each item includes an address of the student who made it, that way if the children who receive the gifts want, they can become pen pals. The collection includes at least one item from every Pivik student and Yamnitzky says everything is ready to go when the call comes from Project Reassure. "The kids' reactions have been phenomenal," says Yamnitzky. Hannah Graham, sixth-grader, says "I thought it was a good idea to help them, they've been through a tragedy. Hopefully they will feel like they are getting the help they need. They are going through a bad time and need hope for the future." Marina Capara, sixth-grader, says Project Reassure has helped because the students who will get the gifts don't have anything anymore and they still have to go back to school. "I hope they feel like someone cares," says Marina. "It would be really scary to be in that situation." Hannah can't imagine what it must be like to have to deal with the hurricane or to lose everything. "I wouldn't feel good," she says. "If you were in that situation, you would want help, too. It's like starting your life over. We feel better about ourselves and what's going on in the world." To make a donation to the project, send a check payable to Project Reassure to The Watson Institute, PROJECT REASSURE, 301 Camp Meeting Road, Sewickley, PA, 15143.

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