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Love My Job

February 18th, 2014

I always enjoy my job, but twice a year I really love it. February marks the beginning of the school year in Colombia and that means I’m sending out scholarship forms to sponsors. Each year I see these faces on my desk. These are kids that are being sponsored to receive a great education.
scholarships
They also write heartfelt thank you notes to their sponsors, which I love to read. These kids know how valuable this gift is, not only for them, but for their families as well. With a good education, these kids will be able to bring their families out of the depths of severe poverty. It’s an opportunity that they don’t take lightly. Most of them start in preschool and continue through graduation (which is grade 11 in Colombia).
scholarship picture
I’ve been working with this program for 20 years, not only by finding sponsors for them, but also by being involved in other ways. I’ve worked raising funds to buy microscopes, computers and other supplies for the school. I’ve also helped raised funds to build classrooms so they can expand and teach more kids. My parents have been involved with this charity since it’s inception back when I was a kid. It was started by Colombians as a way to help the poor in their community and has make a huge impact!
colegio peniel kids
There’s nothing better than knowing the work you do makes a huge impact in someone’s life! Doing these scholarships are a highlight of my work year.

Are you involved with any charities?

7 Comments to “Love My Job”
  1. Robin on February 18, 2014 at 7:08 am

    I love this question and wish more people asked.

    We quietly make people’s “luck” change. My husband does more of this than me. I knit for hospital patients, produce food for local families, and teach various outdoors-related skills. There are two charities we give to financially. Most of our charity work and giving is local.

    I’ll be watch for more ideas.

    Reply to Robin's comment

  2. Nebraska Dave on February 18, 2014 at 9:42 am

    Susy, until my duties shifted to grandchild raising, I made several trips to Nicaragua to help with a church/school there. The men mostly painted and helped with physical labor stuff. The women helped teach classes and taught adults about relationships especially in marriage. A real connection was formed from repeat team members with the people of Nicaragua. My last trip to Nicaragua was a road trip from Omaha Nebraska to Masetepe, Nicaragua. Two of us delivered a van to the church/school. We met the pastor of the Nicaraguan church at the border of Mexico to help with the language barrier along the way. We drove through Mexico top to bottom, then through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and into Nicaragua. It took the best part of a week and much of the time was just spent waiting to get permission to cross borders from one country to the next. It was a life time memorable trip.

    Education in those countries is coveted thing and viewed much different than here in the USA. Kids here hate going to school. There they love going to school many times just because of the meals they get. However, unless there’s help like what you do, most can not afford education. Thank you so much for your efforts in finding sponsors to help with their education.

    Part of that season of life was to help rebuild American disaster areas from hurricanes and tornados. Our volunteer teams would help with just about anything but mostly it would be electrical wiring of the gutted and rebuilt homes.

    Have a great sponsorship day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  3. amy on February 18, 2014 at 11:51 am

    Have sponsored children through both Compassion and World Vision. My daughter who is 25 has two children through one of these organizations. We also worked with a children’s home that cared for special needs children for many years….I use music to work with the handicapped and elderly who reside in charitable homes. I have always felt we Must give back…..whatever that looks like……money..time…talents…etc.

    Reply to amy's comment

  4. Lemongrass on February 18, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    I volunteer as a knitting and crochet teacher at the Center for the Blind with visually impaired and blind students. The experience has been great for me and the students. We are learning to move freely into each others ‘world’.
    We are hoping to sell what we make for transportation. I have been teaching the younger generation of kids to knit or crochet for a number of years, but recently am working with the visually impaired.

    Reply to Lemongrass's comment

  5. Reid on February 18, 2014 at 5:51 pm

    I am involved with a childrens’ home in Juarez, Mexico. Our church sends teams three times a year. I have been once. Being able to speak Spanish is really a plus. I love the kids. We go to serve them, but they bless us way more than we do them. It is so great to see their smiles in the midst of a very dangerous city. They have been brought out of terrible situations into a safe haven where they are loved and well cared for. It is called Emmanuel Childrens’ Home. There is a lot on youtube about it. Check it out and be blesssed!

    Reply to Reid's comment

  6. Marina C on February 19, 2014 at 8:12 am

    I was not going to write because we do not belong to an organization that does wonderful things for people. I admire what you do.

    We have for many years helped various people in various ways, as Robin said, make their luck change. Sometimes it is advice and long term support, sometimes it financial help, or interest free loans.

    We have helped a student raise funds for education, organizing raffles and fund raising spaghetti dinners, whatever it took.

    I volunteer in school as an teacher aid for math as well. there is no end of opportunities to help if one wants to.

    Reply to Marina C's comment

  7. Jill on February 19, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    We give to the local women’s shelter, where I used to work. In addition, this year we are concentrating on a couple of local families faced with big medical expenses, and an elderly neighbour down the road that has had a major surgery and is alone. I think it is important to include my kids (4 and 2) in the conversation about WHY we stop by with food and have a visit, WHY we sew and crochet and give it away, WHY we buy a Christmas gift for a child we’ve never met etc. I hope that helping others will become a natural mindset for them as they get older.

    Reply to Jill's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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