On Tuesday, May 5th Ben Hein, American Red Cross Disaster Program Manager, along with Connie Studnicka AmeriCorps/Red Cross Disaster Services Member had the pleasure of presenting the Pillowcase Project to the 3rd graders at Doudna Elementary. The Pillowcase Project was implemented from Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana. This devastating hurricane struck New Orleans in 2005. At that time, college students carried their valuables in pillowcases when they were evacuated.
This inspired the American Red Cross to work with an art therapist to create a program around decorating pillowcases for the children living in makeshift communities across New Orleans during the Katrina recovery. Soon the Pillowcase Project became a preparedness education program for elementary grades 3-5. In 2013, Walt Disney sponsored the design and development phase of a multi-year effort to build upon this success.
The vision of this program is to create a generation of children who understand the science of hazards and are empowered to take action by practicing how to prepare for emergencies then share what they have learned with family and friends. In return, this will help create a BETTER PREPARED COMMUNITY! The motto for this program is LEARN, PRACTICE and SHARE.