In conjunction with the Sandy relief efforts (Fill the Bus), students attending counseling groups have been participating in an activity in which they are posed with a question: "If you had to leave your home immediately, and you knew your family and pets were safe (and going with you), what three things would you bring with you when you leave?"
The answers have been interesting and stimulated much discussion about what is important in the children's lives. We then related these priorities to the fact that many people who had to leave quickly during Sandy did not even think to take things like toothpaste, toilet paper, cleaning products, etc. Many of the students who participated in this exercise really understood why it was important for us to help with the specifc kinds of items that we are now donating.