RedNoseDayFamilyDiscussionGuide
Introduction
YourchildspenttimeinschoollearningaboutpovertyandRedNoseDayandparticipatingintheRed
NoseDayInSchoolVirtualFieldTrip.Heorshehasidentifiedstrategiesand/orcreatedanactionplan
togetinvolvedwithissuessurroundingpovertyandmaybeinterestedincontinuingtheconversation
withyou!Thisguideisdesignedtohelpparents,children,andotherfamilymembersengagewitheach
otheraroundthetopicofpoverty.Discussionprompts,talkingpoints,andstrategiesforgettingactive
inthecommunityareincludedtosupportadultswhowanttotalkmeaningfullyabouthunger,
homelessness,andeconomichardshipandcommunityinvolvementorsocialengagement.Inaddition,
resourcesforfurtherinformationareprovided,aswellasideasforyouandyourfamilytoparticipatein
RedNoseDayonMay26,2016.
DiscussionQuestions(withsuggestedresponses)
•
•
•
Whatdowemeanwhenwesay“poverty?”1
o Povertyisthelackofadequateresourcestobeabletoprovidethebasicneedsoffood,
water,clothing,housing,medicalcare,andeducation.
Whataresomeoftherootcausesofpoverty?1
o Beingbornintopoverty
o War
o Naturaldisasters
o Unemploymentorunder-employment
o Lackofeducationoraccesstoeducation
o Cutbacksinsocialservices
o Spousalabuse
o Substanceabuse
o Tradeagreementsthatrewardcountriesthatprovideinexpensivelabor
o Lackofchildcareorfamilycare
o Lackoftransportation
o Lackofaccesstohealthcare
o Lackofpoliticalpower;governmentcorruption
o Prejudiceandinequality
o Overpopulation
o Disease
o Mentalhealthissues
Howcanweshowempathytowardpeopleinneed?
1
ThisinformationcomesfromthePovertyProgram,avolunteerorganizationwhosemissionis“toeducateand
raiseawarenessaboutpovertyinthehopethatincreasedknowledgewillincreasedonationsandvolunteerismand
thatpovertywillendinourlifetime.”http://www.povertyprogram.com/index.php
Whenwe“putourselvesinsomeoneelse’sshoes,”itiseasiertoempathizewiththeir
difficulties.Discusshowyouwouldreactorwhatyouwoulddoifyouwerehomelessor
awageearnerinthehouseholdsuddenlylostajob.
Doyouthinkitisourresponsibilitytohelpeconomicallydisadvantagedpeoplelivinginour
town?Ourcountry?Theworld?Whyorwhynot?
o Familieswillhavemanydifferentanswerstothesequestions.Youmaywanttouse
someoftheresourceslistedtohelpyouformulateyouranswers.
Howmightwehelp?Whatwouldyouliketodo?Whatcanwedoasafamily?
o Howcouldwefindoutaboutprogramsthathelpeconomicallydisadvantagedpeople?
o Whatcouldwedonate?
o Whatcanwedotohelpthatdoesnotinvolvespendingmoney?
WhatisRedNoseDayandhowdoesithelpgivefamiliestoolstohelpthemmeettheirneeds?
o RedNoseDayisacampaigndedicatedtoraisingmoneybysimplyhavingfunand
makingpeoplelaugh.Moneyraisedisspenttohelpliftchildrenandyoungpeopleoutof
povertyintheU.S.andsomeofthepoorestcommunitiesintheworld.
o
•
•
•
TalkingPoints
•
•
IntheUnitedStates2:
o In2014,47millionpeoplelivedinPovertyUSA.Thatmeansthepovertyratefor2014
was15%.
o Andthoughpovertyisoftenperceivedasaproblemofurbanenvironmentsandinner
cities,thepovertyrateinmetropolitanareas(15%)isactuallylowerthanthepoverty
rateforpeopleoutsideofmetropolitanareas(17%).
o In2014,thepovertyrateforpeoplelivingwithadisabilitywas29%.That’smorethan4
millionpeoplelivingwithadisability—inpoverty.
o In2014,21%ofallchildren(15.5millionkids)livedinPovertyUSA—that’sabout1in
every5children.
o In2014,theUSDAestimatedthat14%(or17million)ofUShouseholdswerefood
insecure—meaningthattheyhaddifficultyatsometimeduringtheyearproviding
enoughfoodforalltheirmembersduetoalackofresources.
Aroundtheworld3:
o Almosthalftheworld—overthreebillionpeople—liveonlessthan$2.50aday.
o Around27-28percentofallchildrenindevelopingcountriesareestimatedtobe
underweightorstunted.Thetworegionsthataccountforthebulkofthedeficitare
SouthAsiaandsub-SaharanAfrica.
o Nearlyabillionpeopleenteredthe21stcenturyunabletoreadabookorsigntheir
names.
o Approximatelyhalftheworld’spopulationlivesincitiesandtowns.In2005,oneoutof
threeurbandwellers(approximately1billionpeople)waslivinginslumconditions.
o Atleast80%ofhumanitylivesonlessthan$10aday.
2
AccordingtoPovertyUSA:http://www.povertyusa.org/the-state-of-poverty/poverty-facts/
Shah,Anup.“PovertyFactsandStats.”GlobalIssues.07Jan.2013.Web.15Mar.2016.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats
3
o
o
o
1.6billionpeople—aquarterofhumanity—livewithoutelectricity.
Thenumberofchildrenintheworldisabout2.2billion.Thenumberinpovertyis1
billion(everysecondchild).
AccordingtoUNICEF,22,000childrendieeachdayduetopoverty.
StrategiesforGettingActive!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Volunteeratasoupkitchen,foodpantry,orhomelessshelter.Helpalocalorganizationwitha
foodorclothingdrive.
Teachothersaboutpovertyissues—makeapresentationatyourchurchortempleortoalocal
clubororganization.
Writealetterabouttheissueandsendittoanelectedofficialornewspaper.
Raiseawarenessofpovertyissuesbytalkingwithothersandpostingonsocialmedia.
ParticipateinRedNoseDayactivities
o WatchtheRedNoseDaySpecialonNBC,Thursday,May26,at9p.m.easterntimeto
learnmoreaboutpovertyandthemanywaysyoucanhelpjointheefforttoliftchildren
andyoungpeopleoutofpoverty.
o PurchaseanofficialRedNoseDaynoseandothermerchandiseatWalgreen’soronline.
o DosomeFUN-raisingactivitiesinyourschoolorcommunity(dosomethingfunnyfor
money)
Thefollowingaresomeexamplesoffundraisingideas:
o Createfunnyhairstylesforafee
o Hostadance-a-thonortalentshow
o Askyourclassmatestosponsoryoutostaysilentfortheday,ordosomethingsillyifyou
o hityourfundraisinggoal
o Holdacommunitygaragesale,schoolbakesale,lemonadestandorcarwash
o Babysittingfor“bread”anddonatetheproceedstoRedNoseDayorthecharityofyour
choice
o Donatetoditchyourschooluniformanddressnose-to-toesinred
o GeteveryoneinyourclasstowearaRedNose,andcharge$1foreveryoneyoucanpack
intoaselfie
o Raise$1foreveryjokeyoushareoreverybookyouread
o BuyaRedNoseatWalgreens(moneyraisedgoestoRedNoseDayFund)
o WatchtheRedNoseDaySpecialonNBC,Thursday,May26,at9p.m.easterntime
Formoreideasandhelpfulforms,hints,andinformation,gotowww.rednoseday.org
AdditionalResources
•
•
RedNoseDaywebsite:http://www.rednoseday.org/
Literatureandpicturebooks
o TheQuiltmaker’sJourneybyJeffBrumbeau
o FlyAwayHomebyEveBunting
o FourFeet,TwoSandalsbyKarenLynnWilliams
o TheCanManbyLauraE.Williams
o
o
o
o
•
•
Rich:ADyamondeDanielBookbyNikkiGrimes
Beatrice’sGoatbyPageMcBrier
TheOutsidersbyS.E.Hinton(suitableforolderchildren)
IWillAlwaysWriteBack:HowOneLetterChangedTwoLivesbyMartinGanda(suitable
forolderchildren)
Waystotalkwithkidsofdifferentages
o https://wellspringfs.org/blog/14-ways-effectively-explain-homelessness-and-povertyyour-child
U.S.CensusBureaustatistics
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2014/highlights.html