Homeschoolers Changing The World

Our Sponsor: World Vision
http://www.worldvison.com

Founded in 1950, World Vision is a Christian international humanitarian organization, serving the world's poorest children and families in nearly 100 countries.

 

Homeschoolers Changing The World

It was only five years ago when then President Bill Clinton used his weekly radio address to urge state governments to add community service as a condition for high school graduation. For many of the nation's teens, this "mandatory volunteering" has since extinguished the joy and satisfaction inherent in service by turning volunteer work into just another on a long list of non-negotiable duties to perform.

Fortunately this is not the case for homeschooled children and teens. While their academic achievements are well documented, a less touted secret of this learning lifestyle is the large amount of time it frees up for non-academic activities. For many homeschooling youth, volunteerism ranks high on their interesting-things-to-do lists, and the world is so full of good deeds that need doing it won't be hard for your children to find those that inspire and touch their hearts forever.

A HERO LONG BEFORE BECOMING A FOOTBALL STAR

Homeschooler and Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor's volunteer work started off tamely enough. As part of a puppet team he made monthly visits to Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital. As he grew into a teenager, he joined a group that visited nursing homes to sing for the residents.

During the cold winter months, Jason helped a church group venturing into Pittsburgh's worst neighborhoods to serve coffee and doughnuts and to distribute much needed warm clothing. He also grabbed the opportunity to join a group of teens headed for Grenada. The mission? A two-week stint to help rebuild after the war.

Jason had brought candy from home to pass out to the children there. "They didn't even eat it," he remembers. "They hid it to treasure it." He quickly learned why when he was fed the same food as they, "brown stuff that ran across my plate." Though ill-fed, the young man labored with a construction crew all day before joining the other teens to perform song-and-dance programs for local children in the evenings.

TEACH A MAN TO FISH

Homeschooling gave Sasha Earnheart-Gold the opportunity to "graduate" from high school at age fourteen. He then pursued independent study that included instruction in a teaching garden. Here he learned about orchard maintenance, including how to graft and prune trees. A short year later, when the young man was hiking out of Tibet on his way to Nepal as part of a work-study program, he "encountered starving children with bone thin arms and bloated stomachs." Sasha had seen similar poverty while traveling throughout Asia but now he, too, suffered extreme weight loss and parasites and was moved to think of a way to offer lasting help.

After visiting another village where healthy children played among and ate from apple trees, Sasha returned to his California home, gathered together a team of knowledgeable people to help, and Apple Tree International was born. Within four years, he established a nursery in California to supply apple trees for numerous projects in Nepal and Bolivia.

Rather than simply giving food to hungry people, Apple Tree International trains subsistence farmers in fruit and nut tree propagation techniques to provide the tools for people to feed themselves. Striving for the goal of making the existing programs self-sustaining by 2005, the organization ships one thousand trees per year to establish stock for farmers while every trained village farmer agrees to teach two more people how to graft and propagate the trees.

Donors who help support the program tell Sasha, currently 19 years old and attending Dartmouth College, "Yes, this is the way it should be. Simple and direct, from our hands to your hands, working together."

THE BENEFITS OF SERVICE TO THE CHILD

We reap what we sow, and children who grow up serving their fellow man receive many life blessings in return. Whether the project involves world travel to feed the hungry or a trip down the street to comfort nursing home residents, the benefits to the provider are universal.

Service is Educational

Volunteering puts children in a personal situation with people they would not otherwise meet. Children may gain satisfaction from teaching others, or receive first-hand knowledge about different cultures, values, and daily life. When travel is involved, volunteers participate in one of life's most educational experiences.

Service Creates Kind, Caring Adults

Volunteerism opens hearts through which children gain empathy, compassion, and understanding, qualities they maintain throughout life.

Service Helps Children Learn About Themselves

Voluntary work reveals to children their strengths and weaknesses of character thereby providing opportunity to reinforce deficiencies and build on natural gifts. Exposure to the reality of people living without some or all life's necessities helps children realize - and appreciate and value - the blessings of their own lives.

ONCE A TRUE VOLUNTEER...

A veteran homeschooling mom recently relayed news of her own new volunteer project to her adult son, one of countless homeschooled children who grew up experiencing the value and joy of service himself. He chided her, saying, "Boy, it must be nice to have so much time to volunteer." She thought this comment strange, coming from a young man who continues to donate countless hours to voluntary efforts, so she asked him to elaborate. "I just always wish there was time to do more," he told her.

 

A Letter to World Vision

Dear World Vision,

When I first learned of World Vision and about the help that they provide to needy children and families, I knew that I wanted to help in their effort. I have been making donations to World Vision through biweekly payroll deductions for 2 years.

This year, my son, Michael celebrated his 7th birthday. I have tried to teach Michael the importance of being of service and of helping others. My son and I visited World Vision's website, and that is what prompted our creative fund raising effort. When Michael saw the little boy that had to eat rats, he was so sad. We talked about the poor people in the world and about how blessed we were to have a nice home and food to eat whenever we are hungry. Michael talked about his bedroom and all the toys he has. He asked if the little boy had any toys? I told him probably not. Together we came up with an idea to help the hungry children in Africa. Instead of receiving birthday presents at his party, Michael asked his guests to bring a cash donation that he would in turn give to World Vision. We collected $195! In addition to the wonderful feeling that my son got as he collected the money for charity, together we raised awareness in other children and their parents about the poverty in the world. My son's unselfish act was well received by everyone who donated money and I am very proud of him!

I understand that as part of your African Relief Program, there are corporate sponsors that will triple our donation. A $585 match to Michael's $195, would bring the total donation to $780. We know that World Vision will use that money to help the children and ease their suffering! We are grateful to you for allowing us to help!

Sincerely,
Sue from Kansas City

 

Our Sponsor: World Vision

World Vision's Child Sponsorship, Family Sponsorship, and 30 Hour Famine change children's lives - including your own.

What is it like to grow up in Africa? Through World Vision's Child Sponsorship, children exchange letters and photos, learning first-hand about cultures and compassion. Geography is personalized. International current events gain new meaning. World Vision sends you regular country-specific reports and a magazine that explores poverty issues. Your children learn that living out their values makes an impact, by helping a child in need.
 
More about World Vision's Child Sponsorship

What's family life like in Asia, or Romania? Through World Vision's Family Sponsorship Program, you and your child can learn first-hand about different cultures and traditions across the world. You and your child will be able to exchange letters and photos with their sponsored family, as well as receive country-specific reports and articles. Through this relationship, not only will your child gain valuable knowledge and educational skills, you will see his or her eyes opened to a world in need.
 
More about World Vision's Family Sponsorship

What does it mean to be hungry? World Vision's 30 Hour Famine engages 600,000 youth annually to go without food for 30 hours. Educational materials contain Biblical direction on fasting, compassion for the poor, and loving your neighbor, whether they live across the street or around the world. And kids learn that their actions and compassion can change the world.
 
More about World Vision's 30 Hour Famine