Teacher’s creativity boosts UNICEF efforts

How loose change can make a difference: Give a child 40 days of clean, safe water for $1; feed a malnourished child for five days for $5; vaccinate 280 children for $10.

Going digital: For the first time in its 64-year history, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is going digital. Kids and parents can go digital by fundraising through Crowdrise in support of the campaign. By going to www.crowdrise.com/trickortreatforunicef, families can set up a UNICEF fundraising page to share with friends and family. This allows participants (who may not go trick-or-treating) to turn a holiday party into a fundraising opportunity.

To learn more, visit www.trickortreatforunicef.org. Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #TOT4UNICEF.

Growing up in southwest Georgia, Audrey Hughes always went trick-or-treating with a jack-o’-lantern for candy and an orange UNICEF cardboard box for spare change.

Her children, now teenagers, kept the tradition going over the years.

But Hughes’ efforts for UNICEF reach beyond her family and have been recognized by the organization, which helps children in other countries.

Last year, Hughes, a science teacher at Hilsman Middle School in Athens, developed an innovative way to raise money for UNICEF not only at Halloween — but throughout the year. To raise more for UNICEF, her students held a project where they collected items to sell to recycling companies. The students split the money raised between UNICEF and the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.

For Hughes, the recycling project provided an opportunity to do something good for the environment and the community. The project, called the “Trash Hunger Campaign,” also helped connect science with giving locally and around the world. All told, her students raised $500 for UNICEF last year — $135 from the coins and dollars being stuffed into those small orange boxes and $365 from items sold to recyclers.

Last year, about $47,000 was raised in Georgia from UNICEF Trick-or-Treat boxes, and $2.7 million nationally.

“Hilsman is a high-poverty school,” Hughes said. “And these kids want to help. Their commitment to a campaign that helps others speaks volumes about their belief and support of the program. They have big hearts and they want to feel like they are making a difference.”

Hughes’ creativity and passion for UNICEF were recognized by the organization. In fact, Hughes was one of five teachers around the country winning the 2013 Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF School Challenge.

As part of the reward, Hughes’ school received $1,000 (which was used for reusable bags, fliers and other supplies for the Trash Hunger Campaign).

And Hughes had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania in July to see UNICEF’s programs up close.

She saw firsthand the obstacles families have with basic necessities such as food and water, and obstacles getting to school. Here, she said, children can get to school by bus or car. But many children in remote villages of Tanzania must walk to school, sometimes several-miles-long treks.

During her five-day trip with UNICEF, she saw a new well built next to a school, providing water for the entire community. Visiting several schools, school officials at each one presented a wish list. The lists, she said, included requests for basic supplies — pencils, papers, books.

“There was one school in particular (in a rural area) when a school principal got down on his hands and knees and was begging us for solar power so the school could have electricity — so the school could have light,” she said.

After Hughes returned home, the 44-year-old teacher who lives in the Athens area presented a PowerPoint about her trip to Hilsman students and faculty. Meanwhile, this year, her school has set a goal of raising $1,000 from the orange iconic boxes (equal to $1.25 per student).

And on Halloween night, she will be home handing out treats. She will have one bowl with pencils and Starburst candies. Another bowl will be full of change, ready to drop in orange boxes.