Community Soapbox: 100 Kids Kingston

100 Kids Kingston gives children the opportunity to learn about their community, empowers them to become advocates for organizations and issues that matter to them, learn the importance of giving back and how they can use their time, treasure and talent to make a difference, and see the impact they can have right here at home in Kingston.

Here’s the basic premise:

• We work together to recruit at least 100 school-age (Kindergarten- Gr.6) kids in Kingston
• Kids commit to attending three 1-hour meetings a year (November/February/April) at the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston (Bath Road)
• At each meeting, kids come prepared to donate $10 each to a local charity that they will vote on
• Before each meeting, members are invited to nominate a local charity via our website to be in the running to receive support from 100 Kids Kingston.
• The kids then vote on the charity they would like to support. The charity with the most votes leaves with $1,000 in donations! That charity comes back to the next meeting to give a quick report on the impact the kids’ donation made.

In addition to nominating charities and giving their $10 at each meeting, kids are encouraged to take part in the 100 Minute Challenge – an initiative to encourage and inspire kids to give 100 minutes of their time and energy to helping family, friends and neighbours in their community between 100 Kids meetings. The purpose is to show kids that giving their time and talent is just as important as giving money to help others, and to keep the gift of giving going throughout the year.

For parents/grandparents, 100 Kids Kingston is a partner to help you teach your kids in a real and practical way about giving back; provides online references and resources to build on the principles the kids learn in meetings (eg. opportunities to volunteer, local charitable events to support, ideas for how to incorporate volunteerism and giving into your family’s life); is a great way to start discussions about financial literacy and how charitable giving is an important part of their decision making about finances.

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Shot by Make Hay Media, this video features a few 100 Kids members who joined Gary Rasberry at The Tett Centre to record the original song he wrote for them.

This Community Soapbox was written by 100 Kids Kingston.