Students make survival bags for homeless during cold snap

HEBRON – Twelve years ago, Beth Kamradt and her son Matthew launched Loaves and Fishes, first a family project and now an independent community effort that helps the unsheltered homeless of Greater Cincinnati.

This year Kamradt's passion to help the homeless extends to the classroom. Her project-based learning classes at Conner Middle School use school subjects to assess problems of the homeless and devise solutions.

That's what project-based learning is all about: Students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem or challenge.

Kamradt is amazed that her students have exceeded expectations in assessing the problems of those without shelter and hatching solutions.

It's been more authentic than she could have imagined. When she and her students returned from Christmas break, Kamradt answered questions – as best as she could – from students upset by the death of Kenneth Martin, 55, the homeless man found unconscious Christmas morning at Government Square in Downtown Cincinnati. 

On Wednesday, Matthew, 21, joined his mother in her classroom after school buses  left. An overcast sky was fading, a sign that 3-degree temperatures were on the way. But mother and son were in no hurry.

Matthew, a student in electrical technology at Gateway Community and Technical College, was eager to tell his mom about Arthur, a homeless man they'd met in Cincinnati.

“He got a job,” Matthew said beaming. Arthur needed steel-toed boots after his pair got soaked in the rain. Now he has what he needs for his job.

Over a decade, Beth and Matthew have ventured around Greater Cincinnati getting to know its homeless community.

Besides her conviction that no one should go hurting, “I’m really good at shopping,” Beth said. “I started asking people, what do you need?”

Kamradt's KIA Soul hatchback – nicknamed “Angel Soul” – was stuffed with donations outside her classroom where she teaches 137 students in Hebron in Boone County Schools. The room is packed with donations, too.

Blue and silver tarps, food bags and blankets are in bags and crates, all in varying states of organization.

HOW LOAVES AND FISHES STARTED

“As word spread about what we were doing, people learned that there were specific things that they could do to help. ... One person could buy 10 things of baby wipes for $10 at the grocery store, another person could buy three packs of crackers."

When folks realized they weren't responsible for everything it took to make food bags, hygiene bags or survival bags, they wanted to do their part.

The Kamradts have adjusted to both supply and demand. They used to go on a “run” – visiting places homeless people gather, handing out supplies – every four weeks, then two weeks. “Now we go every week.”

“So we would empty my car and almost as soon as my car would get emptied it would get filled up again.

“And we kept emptying the car, and it kept filling up.”

 OVER 150 SURVIVAL BAGS 

Since November, her Conner students have worked to perfect distribution and assembly of items for the homeless. They designed to the square inch a survival bag and a hygiene bag, ensuring they have space to hold most-needed items.

They took special care in assembling Layered Clothing Packages. After thinking hard about the bag’s contents, a light bulb went off for the kids. Clothing pack contents could be driven by the recipient’s waist size. Blue jeans became the core of the clothing package. From there, underthings, plus a substantial shirt and sweater, were added. A homeless person could simply be asked, "What size jeans do you wear?" and be handed a Layered Clothing Package.

HOW STUDENTS BENEFIT 

“These kids are getting an opportunity to learn that they can make a difference, that they can work with others in their community,” Kamradt said. “Altogether you can make a difference."

There is more they've picked up along the way.

 “We’re talking real stuff," said Kamradt. "We learned about heat transfer, that’s thermodynamics. They had to measure the volume of everything (for the Survival Kits) and add it all up to see if it would fit in the space of the bag, before I gave them the bag. That was 32 geometry problems.

"For each of our donors our kids are writing thank you notes. This is gratitude, and writing skills.”

"We live in a community filled with wonderful people who really want to help their neighbors in need," Kamradt said.

“It seems to have a rhythm to it that we never have too many people donating too many things at any particular time. It’s like everybody finds their own rhythm as they feel called to do,” she added.

“Our motto is where there’s life, there’s hope."

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Want to learn more about Loaves and Fishes? Visit its Facebook page at bit.ly/NKYLoavesFishes

Also, a quarter auction will take place Thursday, Feb. 8, at Benton Family Farm in Walton in Boone County, Kentucky, to benefit The Unsheltered Homeless People in our Area sponsored by Loaves and Fishes and Benton Farms.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with the auction starting at 7 p.m. Refreshments are available.

Benton Family Farm is located at 11896 Old Lexington Pike, Walton, KY 41094.