Weekly Challenge and Assignment (Week of November 7th)

Hi Carson Ward,

I am so excited to here how many of you are getting excited about Emergency Preparedness, evaluating and setting up your home Food/Water Storage and Emergency Preparedness items, getting your 72 Hour Kits updated or started, that the Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness blog/website is helping you to accomplish your goals, that you are following the counsel of our General Authorities and Leaders of our Church, and you on your way to self-reliance and Provident Living.

If there is anything I can do to help you get started please just ask me, or if you have any questions. If you would like, I would love to sit down with you or your family to help you make a plan and get started towards becoming self-reliant. It brings such peace of mind in knowing that you are working towards a goal and seeing your Food Storage and Emergency Predparedness items growing. The most important thing you can do, is "just start", even if it is one can at a time. There is a Latin Proverbwhich says: "While we consider when to begin, it becomes too late!"

When it gets close to Spring next year and you are interested in planting a garden (even a container garden) I would be excited to help you plan your garden and plant it. It is such a satisfying experience to get the whole family involved in planting a garden and then freezing and/or canning your rewards!

Quote:

“Life is made up of small daily acts. Savings in food budgets come by pennies, not only by dollars. Clothing budgets are cut by mending stitch by stitch, seam by seam. Houses are kept in good repair nail by nail. Provident homes come not by decree or by broad brushstroke. Provident homes come from small acts performed well day after day. When we see in our minds the great vision, then we discipline ourselves by steady, small steps that make it happen.” (Barbara B. Smith, former Relief Society general president - Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 86.)

After the first of the year I plan to set up Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness workshops and First-aid and CPR classes. We may set up the First-aid and CPR classes before the holidays.

Weekly Assignment:

72 Hour Stressor Kit (one per family member):

What is a 72 Hour Stressor Kit? It helps your family deal with the stresses of a natural disaster or emergency situation. It provides items in the kit to help occupy them with things to do, like reading the Book of Mormon or a favorite book, playing small car board games, card games like "Go Fish" or working in an activity book or even just looking at a family photo.

This week we are starting this kit. There are only 7-8 items in this kit. This week please add the following for each family kit:

1. Family photo
2. Activity book (I found these at the 99 Cent Store and Dollar Tree, they are Cross Word Puzzle books, Word Search books, or activities books for children.)
3. List of contact names and phone numbers (Family and friends in state and out of state, doctors names, addresses and phone numbers. Make sure your children understand what they are and they can call them if they cannot locate you. Teach them how to call them.)

Weekly Challenge:

Teach your children, grandchildren, neices and nephews how to call 911

Our daughter Heidi did a wonderful thing a few weeks ago to help their boys learn how to call 911 if one of their parents or grandparents were hurt where they could not get to the phone or were unable to talk to them. They wanted them to know that if they could not get them to wake up they could call for help and help would come.

First Heidi called 911 and explained she wanted to teach her boys how to call 911 and make sure it was ok if she did a test with them so they would know their was someone to call and they would be able to help them.

Then she pretended to be unconsious on the floor. She had Bradley call 911. She first had him tell the 911 Dispature that he was practicing with his mother on how to call 911 and that she was pretending to be unconsious. The Dispature was more than willing to help him practice. They took their time with him and asked him their normal questions.

1. Who is calling?
2. Why are they calling, was someone hurt?
3. That help was on their way, to wait and he would keep talking with him until someone got there.
4. When they came to the door, to ask who they were if they could not see them, and it would be ok to open the door for them.

911 can bring up the address while talking with someone. But it is a good idea to teach your children their full name, parents names (they are not just Daddy and Mommy), address and phone number just in case.

Bradley told the Dispacture thank you and hung up. He was so excited that someone was on the other end of the phone to talk with him and help him get help for his mother.

Of course, we need to explain to our children this is only for emergency purposes and not to call just for the fun of it or pretend to see if they really do come to the house.

Remember, post your name at the end of each weeks posting for the month so your name can be entered in our Monthly FREE Giveaway Drawing the end of November.