The Pillowcase Project: Reaching the One Millionth Child

Next week, the American Red Cross Pillowcase Project will reach its one millionth child! This program aims to increase awareness of natural disasters and teach safety, emotional coping and personal preparedness skills to students in grades three through five (eight to 11 years old).

Learn, Practice and Share 

In this program, trained Red Cross volunteers help students learn how to create an emergency supply kit by packing essential items into a pillowcase, which makes it easier to transport items in the event of a disaster or emergency. Students are also given the opportunity to personalize their pillowcase and encouraged to share what they’ve learned with their loved ones.

Making a Difference

Leading up to reaching The Pillowcase Project’s one millionth child, Pillowcase Project teams are holding events throughout the Chicago and northern Illinois region, most recently in Will County’s Bolingbrook through a partnership with Will County EMA.

Vanessa Murray was the presenter from Will County EMA.

“I’ve always been interested in preparedness and being safe,” Murray said. “And that is what really draws me to presenting Pillowcase Project on a regular basis.”

As the children decorated their pillowcases and learned about preparedness, they were able to be a part of the One Millionth Student milestone through a celebration and received special certificates.

Since the project’s first pilot launched in 2013, teams have engaged 35,000 volunteers to partner with more than 13,000 schools, community organizations and partners to reach students. As a result, 11 lives have been saved. The American Red Cross has also supported international pilot programs in six countries abroad.

World’s Largest Pillowcase Project Teaches Chicago Children Preparedness Skills

(CHICAGO, IL) – When Hurricane Katrina made landfall 10 years ago, no one was prepared for the immense destruction and devastation it would inflict upon the Gulf Coast.

Many children were traumatized by their memories of the storm’s fury so the American Red Cross developed a program using something as simple as a pillowcase to help children feel safer and more prepared for a disaster.

On the 10^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29, 2015, the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois participated in the World’s Largest Pillowcase of youth preparedness activities taking place across the county. In Chicago, kids gathered at the Robert Morris University where they learned how to prepare for a disaster and received art supplies to personalize their own pillowcase.

Eight-year-old Beatrice decorated her pillowcase with pictures of her family and favorite household items.

“I liked coming today because I learned a lot of important things,” Beatrice said. “Now I know not to put my hand on a door knob if there’s a fire because I might get burned. I need to open the door slowly so I can be safe.”

The Pillowcase Project was inspired by university students in New Orleans who evacuated the storm by carrying their personal items in pillowcase. Soon after, the Pillowcase Project became a youth preparedness class offered around the country by the Red Cross and sponsored by Disney.

In the last ten years, the Pillowcase Project has helped thousands of children learn to cope during emergencies from hurricanes to home fires. For more information on the Pillowcase Project:  RedCross.org.

For more photos of the World’s Largest Pillowcase event in Chicago visit our Flickr page. 

Story by Alexandra Sobczak, Public Affairs Volunteer, American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois 

Photos by Danny Diaz, American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois Volunteer