We decided one way Sesame could help was to bring Abby Cadabby to meet and greet those most affected by the storm, those who could benefit from a little lightness in their lives after all they had gone through. Two weeks ago, our first site visit with HHS was a Red Cross shelter that had been set up in a gymnasium at Nassau Community College on Long Island, an area hit hard by the hurricane. Armed with the Here for Each Other resources, activity sheets, stickers, toys, and DVDs, we stopped by the shelter to visit the families and children who had been displaced there. The shelter was home to about 700 people, all of whom had been located there after much damage to their homes and some who no longer had homes to go back to. They were spending their days in a huge gym, with not much more than a cot and some personal belongings to call their own, as they struggled to try to rebuild their lives post-storm.

Abby visited the play area set up for the young children at this shelter, where volunteers from Save the Children and Children’s Disaster Services had been offering support to the 30 or so children who were spending time at the shelter. Because most of them had gone back to school and resumed some normalcy in their lives, there were only a handful of children present at the time we were there, but the joy Abby brought to those children, and even the adults at the shelter, was remarkable. It was a truly amazing experience to be a part of these relief efforts, not only to be there to provide tangible resources for these providers and the families they serve, but to bring a bit of lightness to those who have been going through so much.

The day after the Red Cross shelter visit with HHS, we headed to HOPES Head Start in Hoboken, another city devastated by the hurricane. Again we showed up with a bunch of Sesame books, DVDs, outreach materials, and the Here for Each Other resources, not knowing what to expect and who we would meet. The school had just re-opened a little more than a week after the hurricane had hit, so all of these children had been impacted by the storm in one way or another. There were about 80 pre-school children who were all so thrilled to meet Abby, and after the long week they had gone through, we were thrilled to bring some happiness to these children and their teachers.

While we at Sesame are not the ones on the ground doing the necessary and exhausting relief and recovery work, the fact that the resources and materials we produce can help a community in need, give families reassurance that whatever they are going through they are not alone, and bring a little bit of joy to those who need it, well, that is exactly why we do the work we do. We’re grateful for wonderful partners like HHS who gave us the opportunity to do these site visits and bring our resources into the communities in need of them. For all of the wonderful and resilient people we met who are going through so much- we are here for you.

The Sesame Workshop Blog

On one of the days, we were at the E.R. Taylor Elementary School, which serves over 700 diverse, low-income children from pre-k to 5^th grade in San Francisco.   That day, all of the children in school received oral health education, while the kindergarteners, 2nd and 5th graders received dental screenings from the Give Kids A Smile volunteers.  It was heartening to see so many of these volunteers- dentists, hygenists, dental students, dental staff- volunteer their time and their resources to make sure these children are getting the care they need and deserve.   As I was talking to the principal, she mentioned that these screenings were so important to her because when a child doesn’t have to think about their body, they can focus on school.  As budget cuts slash away more things each year, including having a school nurse on hand, she was just so grateful for the events and the resources like these screenings that help keep her students healthier and more school-ready.

As a Project Manager on the Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me initiative, I work with various community health organizations, healthcare providers, and schools to distribute these free materials nationwide.  However, this was the first time I experienced in person how our materials get distributed and integrated into programs, and the important work our partners are doing in communities through events such as these.   Being able to experience something like this firsthand really made me appreciate not only the work that we do in helping create these outreach resources here at Sesame, but the people who are in the communities everyday carrying out work that is much needed.  We are just glad that our project can be of support to providers and families in staying healthy, and we will continue to create resources that can be of help to our many community outreach partners to carry on the mission of healthy habits.

The Sesame Workshop Blog