When the pandemic hit, we were all thrown into survival mode. How to get groceries, how to do school, how to stay safe amidst an invisible threat. It was constant. It was stressful, and it was scary.
It still is.
With our children’s lives disrupted and so many joyful activities put on hold, the Philly Children’s Movement wanted to spread a little love to local children staying at home during the pandemic.
Enter our ‘Joy & Justice kits’.
PCM decided to add to some of the beautiful materials still available from our #black2school campaign. We brainstormed items that would:
- Bring some joy and playfulness to children who had been stuck inside for weeks and months.
- Give them a variety of toys and tools to be used off of the screens that even our ‘digital natives’ were growing tired of.
- Give youth an opportunity to speak out through journaling, post-it memos, toy protests, sidewalk chalk and art.
PCM youth core members helped choose the items, pack the bags, and deliver them to families in North, Northwest, South, West, and Northeast Philly. Altogether, we distributed 50 Joy & Justice bags.
Core members as young as two years old! helped to pack and distribute the kits… a joyful and powerful action in the midst of a jarring time.
The Joy & Justice kits also helped to spark inspiration for the #familydayofaction, as some families used their chalk and toy protest signs to speak out in support of #blacklivesmatter.