Children and Disaster Situations

I have come across a few very interesting articles on the psychological effects of a natural or man-made disaster on children. The effects vary in different ages; as one of the articles reports:

" * Preschoolers—thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behavior, and withdrawal from friends and routines.
* Elementary School Children—irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends.
* Adolescents—sleeping and eating disturbances, agitation, increase in conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behavior, and poor concentration.

A minority of children may be at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms can include those listed above as well as re-experiencing the disaster during play and/or dreams; anticipating or feeling that the disaster is happening again; avoiding reminders of the disaster; general numbness to emotional topics; and increased arousal symptoms such as inability to concentrate and startle reactions. Although rare, some adolescents may also be at increased risk of suicide if they suffer from serious mental health problems like PTSD or depression. Again, adults should seek professional mental health help for children exhibiting these symptoms. "



These are the kind of children who need HappyPacks, who need joy at this time. These children may survive the disaster, but what is the point if you do not feel happy?


Links to two of the articles have been included below.



http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/naturaldisaster_ho.aspx

http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA95-3022/default.asp

Concert Trouble...

As you know, we have been trying to organize a benefit concert for Haiti. Unfortunately, we have run into various problems regarding a place to hold the concert. We are still trying to find a space inside of the Riverside Church, but it seems like we may not have a space in the Church as soon as we would like. If we are unable to find space in the Church, we will start looking elsewhere in New York City. If anyone knows of any location in the city that would be willing to donate a reasonable amount of space for a benefit concert, please tell us about it! Thank you!

An Update on the Latest Project, Saving the Harlem School of the Arts, and the launch of an Updated Website!

We are absolutely certain that it is going to happen. We have over 5 bands that are willing to play, and all we need now is the space. We are still hoping to secure a space in the Riverside Church, but if we cannot, we are hoping that there are people elsewhere in New York City who are willing to donate the space for the Concert to happen.

Our plans were put on hold because a beloved institution by the name of the Harlem School of the Arts was threatening to close down. The Harlem School of the Arts is an institution for children that was founded by Opera singer Dorthy Maynor. The school started in a church basement, and eventually moved to the building next to the church.

A lack of funds emerged, and the school was almost closed. What saved the school was the combined efforts of staff, parents, and children. Children put up signs, wrote letters to the media and the board members, and participated in rallies.

This goes to show that not only can kids have a major role in saving a school, but also that they can have a major role in anything that they deem important. This is what OnEartHeart is about. Showing kids that yes, they CAN make a difference in anything that they put their mind to. I would like to personally congratulate the kids of the Harlem School of the Arts for caring about their school and its closing, and doing something about it.


In other news, an updated OnEartHeart website will be launched soon! You will be able to check it out very soon at www.oneartheart.org!

Help for Haiti

As you may or may not know, one of the worst earthquakes in modern history has struck Haiti. Reading 7.0 on the Scale, this is one of the biggest disasters ever. The Offical death toll still has not been released, and neither has the casulties. Officals are still counting. With most of their country in ruins and nowhere to go, most Haitian residents have taken to the streets. We are putting the Books project on hold in order to address this issue. The "HappyPack"book event will not be cancelled, just postponed. Instead, OnEartHeart will start a charity concert for the children in Hati. I hope to raise enough money to not only help the Haitians rebuild, but also take care of the children there. It has been shown that over 50% of the population of Haiti is comprised of children, and that there are now 400,000 orphans. It is crucial that we help these children. What we are doing here is the essense of OnEartHeart, Children Helping Children. We should be able to count on each other. After all we have one big thing in common, Our Lives Together on this Planet!



One Word, One Earth, One Heart. OnEartHeart. Together, we can make anything happen.