NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Toys"R"Us, Inc. and Scholastic Donate Supplies to Save the Children's Relief Efforts in Texas Family Shelters

Save the Children to Distribute Thousands of Diapers, Portable Cribs, Books and Other Emergency Supplies to Babies and Children in Texas Evacuation Centers

Bolstered by generous donations from Toys"R"Us, Inc. and Scholastic, Save the Children is stepping up its efforts to assist thousands of Texas families forced from their homes by Hurricane Ike, which is expected to be one of the most destructive storms to hit the Texas coast in years.

Working closely with the American Red Cross and local and state officials in San Antonio, Save the Children is preparing to meet the basic needs of infants, toddlers and older children who are arriving by the thousands to shelters in San Antonio.

The agency has received 50,000 diapers, 50,000 baby wipes and 500 portable cribs from Toys"R"Us to provide safe, comfortable environments for infants and toddlers in need. The agency has also received 3,240 "My Time" kits from Scholastic, which contain books and crayons for children ages 5-12.

"We are anticipating thousands of families and children to arrive today. All roads lead to San Antonio," said Kate Dischino, who is leading Save the Children's emergency response team in San Antonio.

"These donations are vital for the continued relief efforts of Save the Children and we truly value our relationship with Toys"R"Us and Scholastic," said Mark K. Shriver, vice president and managing director of U.S. programs for Save the Children. "Children have unique needs following a natural disaster that go beyond the basic necessities of food and shelter. Save the Children works to protect children physically and emotionally and our success would not be possible without the support of dedicated partners like Toys"R"Us and Scholastic who respond with urgency when disaster strikes."

Save the Children is also creating Safe Spaces for children who have been displaced by the hurricane. Safe Spaces are designed to let children be children, even in the midst of a crowded emergency shelter, and include a supervised area filled with toys, art supplies, books and games.

Toys"R"Us has designated Save the Children as one of its primary partners in situations where children need urgent assistance as a result of large-scale disasters. Earlier this month, the fund donated a generous number of diapers and baby cribs to Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Gustav. Toys"R"Us and Save the Children have also collaborated in the past to aid in tsunami relief and reconstruction efforts in Southeast Asia and to help victims of the Southern California wildfires, tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee, and the Midwest Floods