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Kids
Count News
April,
2008
Kids
Count Reaches to Haiti
When
we received the emailed photos below, I was intrigued about how the
Kids Count bank bags are used. I could tell that the photos were
from Wings of Hope, an orphanage that has been supported by the
Dietrich family and many Eastern Iowans, so I contacted Renee
Dietrich and she wrote: "to explain how we use the coin purses,
they are a part of the allowance program at Wings of Hope. Wings of
Hope is a home for 36 mentally and physically challenged children
and young adults in Fermathe, Haiti (it is also where I live). We
don't focus on a child's disability, but their abilities. To that
end, about 15 of the kids are a part of the allowance program. They
earn money by doing chores around the house — making beds,
sweeping the floor, carrying the laundry, washing the dishes,
helping in the classroom, etc. Some of these kids are severely
physically disabled, but take a lot of pride in being able to do
their little jobs.
Every
week I meet with all the workers and we talk about what they did
that week to help the house and the other children and then they are
given their allowance. They are then allowed to decide what to do
with their money. Some of it gets saved for special trips to
Port-au-Prince to buy toys and clothes, but a portion of each
child's money each week goes into their Mount Vernon Bank coin
purse. They can spend that money any way they want. Some use it to
buy food from market women who work outside Wings of Hope; or they
can buy toys from KC, who runs a little boutique out of her room;
some of the kids also are very charitable and use some of their
money to buy food or toys for the other kids who are not a part of
the allowance program. The kids love seeing how they can help around
the house, help others and earn money. They also are learning about
the importance of saving and the joy of giving.” It is fun to
think of how much these kids are touched by Kids Count.
Coming:
Kids Count prizes are being updated so check the display, now by the
vault door.
Chalk
the Walk
The
first weekend of May is the town’s celebration of Chalk the Walk.
To celebrate the event, Mount Vernon Bank is giving away sidewalk
chalk for when you make a deposit into your Kids Count account. This
will start on the May 19. This is chalk for the walks at home. The
big celebration of Chalk the Walk will be the first weekend of May
and it will use special chalk.
Science
Saturday,
May
17 at 9:30 am
Mount
Vernon’s own Dr. Science, Charles Liberko, will be the Meeting
Room of Mount Vernon Bank to demonstrate the exciting things that
can be done with chemistry. This will be a demonstration, not a
hand-on experience. Children who are in kindergarten or younger
should be accompanies by their parent.
If
you want to come to this program, you must call the bank to sign
up, 895-8835. If demand requires it, we will offer a second
session that morning at 11. Each session will last about 45 minutes.
This will be an interesting and fun way to spend your Saturday
morning.
Double
Coupons in June
Once
school is out and you are free to come in to the bank to make your
deposit at any time, you can start looking for some ways to earn a
little extra money and beef up your account a bit. To help you with
you savings, Kids Count will give you an extra coupon when you make
your deposit. That’s all through June, so remember to deposit your
money.
Heritage
Days will be here before you know it!
Every
summer Mount Vernon celebrates at Heritage Days. One part of
Heritage Days has been the Kids Fun Run which has been going for
many years, even before there was a Heritage Days. After years of
being run by Bob and Mary Meeker, followed by the Neal family, Mount
Vernon Bank assumed the organization of the event. Currently, the
event is being held at the football behind the old Middle School.
There is a Fun Run event for children starting with one-year-olds,
and going up in year increments. The runs are just for fun, prizes
are given to all who participate. An entry fee will defray the cost
of t-shirts. Please watch the Sun for news of Heritage Days on July
11 and 12.
Future
Events to look forward to:
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A
special savings program for children 12 and under to learn good
savings patterns. With Kids Count children are reinforced with special
coupons to exchange for prizes with each deposit. 
