NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Save the
Children and its animal ambassador Lassie hosted fun "Prep Rally"
events here this week to help local children build resiliency and
feel safe as the city commemorates the 10-year anniversary of
Hurricane Katrina.
"The Prep Rally is all about empowering our children to get
prepared and feel safe," said Erin
Bradshaw, who leads Save the Children's Get Ready Get Safe
initiative. "Children are also wonderful at inspiring their
families to take action. That's especially important when we
know the government is still behind in efforts to protect children
from disaster."
Save the Children's new Disaster Report Card, "Still At Risk:
U.S. Children 10 Years After Hurricane Katrina," shows that the
federal government has yet to close many of the gaps in protecting
U.S. children identified after Hurricane Katrina. Today,
nearly four-fifths of the 2010 final recommendations of the
National Commission on Children and Disasters remain unfulfilled,
the report finds.
Children at this week's Prep Rallies participated in fun
activities including the disaster supplies relay race, where Lassie
ran by their side. The iconic collie delighted children
of all ages at the events.
"I gave Lassie a hug and got a red bag with a teddy bear to keep
me safe," said Renee, 4, at a Prep Rally at the Kingsley House Head
Start program.
At Thursday's Prep Rally at the Treme Community Center, actress
and Save the Children supporter Dakota
Fanning also took part. She helped lead children in a
preparedness pledge and distribute backpack kits with kid-friendly
disaster supplies, including a comfort item and a notebook to color
or write in.
Teaching children about disasters helps them stay calm and cope
during emergencies because they know what is happening, what to do
and how to follow adult instructions. Talking about disasters also
helps kids understand that caring and informed adults are ready to
protect them. Schools and community groups can download the
free Prep Rally curriculum at
www.SavetheChildren.org/PrepRally.
Parents attending this week's Prep Rallies were also encouraged
to create emergency contact cards for their children, which can
serve as a lifeline if disaster separates families. Almost
5,000 children were reported missing after Hurricane Katrina.
Save the Children responded to Hurricane Katrina and ran
long-term programs to help children across the Gulf Coast
recover. The organization has served 1 million U.S. children
affected by disaster since 2005.
Preparedness resources for families -- including an online tool
to make emergency contact cards -- can be found at
www.savethechildren.org/GetReady.
Save the Children invests in childhood – every
day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we
give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and
protection from harm. Follow us on
Twitter and Facebook.
Media Contact:
Tanya Weinberg
tweinberg@savechildren.org
202-247-6610
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Related Links
Save the
Children
Get Ready. Get Safe.
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SOURCE Save the Children