Friday, September 17, 1999
Mall project collects for refugees of Yugoslavia
Empty storefront showcases kids' artwork for needy
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE — One storefront window at Florence Mall isn't filled with the latest fall fashions or this week's best sellers. It's covered with local children's drawings that depict the virtues of hope, love and compassion.
They stand in stark contrast to the adjacent, enlarged photos of Kosovar refugees.
Elena Miller, the mall's new marketing director, has turned an empty store into a donation and awareness center for a humanitarian project she calls “Peace Through the Eyes of Children.”
The project aims at helping people affected by the conflict in the Balkans.
“The Yugoslavian war helped to put into focus just how lucky we and our children are to live here where diversity is accepted, instead of a country where diversity creates hatred and fear,” she said. “Americans have safe homes and communities for our children, and it is easy to take this for granted.”
Children across the region are encouraged to send their paintings and drawings, which will be hung in the vacant store through Monday, she said.
The pictures and cash donations will be sent through the American Red Cross to the struggling area halfway around the world.
Ms. Miller sent letters to all the schools that participate in a mall program that allows them to earn points toward cash awards by presenting mall receipts at the customer service center.
Tara Bates, principal at Community Christian Academy, said almost every student in the 205-student school either drew pictures or made donations to the program.
“A lot of the kids are so young they don't understand, but they do understand the violence and they don't want that to come home to them,” she said.
One Red Cross volunteer, Charmaine Dupps, said she knew the message was getting across when she saw a sixth-grader put a fist full of money in the donation box instead of spending it in a music store.
“One boy in particular, he was going to buy a tape and he says, "No, my friend needs this more. He needs it more than I need a tape.'”
Ms. Miller moved to the United States a little more than a year ago from St. Petersburg, Russia.
“America is more international than any other country,” she said. “It was founded and nourished by immigrants. I want to make people think globally and act locally.”
She hopes local residents will give in that spirit of internationalism.
“We hope to start a number of outreach programs,” Ms. Miller said. “This is just the first.”
Children can drop off their paintings and drawings at the customer service desk through Monday. Contributions can be made at the mall's donation collection center or at any Fifth Third Bank.
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