Can you believe it? I am running a half marathon this summer! Those of you who know that I have not been fond of running might ask why I am doing such a thing. I am running because I care about the suffering of people on the other side of the world.
The AIDS epidemic in Africa has left an entire generation of children with no adults to care for them. Click on the video to hear one story. Now multiply that by hundreds of thousands of kids. It breaks my heart when I think about it. We may not be able to bring these kids' parents back, but we can offer them hope.
World Vision cares for hundreds of thousands of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa and other regions through child sponsorship and other means. For sponsored children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS-related causes, World Vision provides vital assistance that includes meeting educational, health care, shelter, and other urgent basic needs. Older orphans, some of whom have become their families' breadwinners, are given vocational or agricultural training.
In addition, World Vision trains volunteer caregivers to provide continuous monitoring of children’s well-being, protection against abuse and neglect and spiritual and psychosocial support. Help in overcoming barriers to education, assisting with basic household tasks, caring for chronically ill family members, school fee assistance, food aid and other material support, when possible, is also offered. They also mobilize and train volunteer caregivers to assist orphans and vulnerable children. These caregivers provide assistance to thousands more children who are not covered by sponsorship.
World Vision also has a good fiscal record, spending over 85% of money on programs that directly serve the poor, and earning good ratings from prominent charity ratings organizations.
You can support my efforts through Team World Vision by making a one-time tax-deductible donation through this site, or you can do what our family does and sponsor a child. To the left, you will see pictures of our family's sponsored children, Loice and Trust. We write letters back and forth, pray for them, and our children have learned a lot about how others live. Children who grow up with hope create communities of hope. Please consider making a lasting impact in the life of one child who will impact many. To sponsor a child, go to www.worldvision.org. Be sure to let me know by email if you decide to sponsor a child, and I will add that to my fundraising goals at this site.
Last year at the Chicago marathon, Team World Vision members raised over a million dollars to provide clean drinking water in Africa. Together we can change the world.