KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As families stay inside their homes to keep COVID-19 from spreading, ScrapsKC is creating kits for children to help pass the time.
The kits are all recycled items from the non-profit's store, in an effort to repurpose something old into something new.
"We have some kits that we made up, we already have a lot of great things in the store already, like patterns and things that parents can do," ScrapsKC textile manager, Rebecca Fulton said. "And they can spend time with their kids and teach them how to sew or do some embroidery."
Fulton said the kits help provide quality time with families.
"It’s just something that, a togetherness, that they have with each other and doing something new besides watching TV or being on their iPads," Fulton said. "I’m sure it is difficult for parents right now to come up with new things to do because they’ve got a lot of stress as well. So this could probably be a great therapy as well. Just teaching them a new skill."
The ScrapsKC team is also working on STEM kits for families.
"As people are starting to look at maybe helping their kids with school at home: engineering kits, looking at simple machines, springs, clothespins and if we can get all that out together in an easy kit that people can take home and use with their kids and use online resources, then I think we all come out better," Events and Education Coordinator, Courtney Christensen said.
Kits are $4 each or three for $10. Other "cabin fever" bags are also available for families.
Part of the nonprofit's mission is working with the homeless, who volunteer at the store.
"That’s a big part of our mission is taking things and people that maybe people don’t see value in and showing how they are valuable they are," Christensen said.
Christensen said with many places closed, ScrapsKC wants to create a continued open safe space for those volunteers to feel welcomed.
"They’ve all been asking, 'Are you guys staying open?' So, with the libraries closed and other places closed where they might normally be during the day, we really want to stay safe and healthy so that we can stay open for them to be here," Christensen said. "They kind of depend on us to be a temporary space, a safe space where they’re accepted and valued."
For more information on these kits, you can contact ScrapsKC.
