Help Offered from a High School Student Council
I am from Boyceville High School in Boyceville, Wisconsin. Our student council is interested in helping any way that we can, and we were wondering if there are any relief societies that would accept non-perishable food donations? We feel that it would be easier to hold a food drive in our community than to try and raise food. I would appreciate a response. You may contact me personally at womanofdunedain@yahoo.com
Unknown at 1/05/2005 03:53:00 PM |
Hello, I am pleased that your student council is making such an honorable effort.
There are also other ways to help for instance you may contact The St. Josephs International Academy and ask Mr. Fernandez how you and the council can help this school to provide quality learning opportunities for the children in this community. The schools are located in or near Kollam In Kerala India , one of the worst hit areas of Kerala.
This school needs supplies and volunteers and perhaps some Big Brothers and Sisters who will actively participate in the learning experience long distance.
Children can be adopted for one year at a cost of 150.00. However no one should be stressed while having no money to give.Volunteer your time by finding suitable online homeschooling projects that you can interact with. Please have a look at the website and see these beautiful children who could really use some innovative thinking on your part. http://www.stjosephinternationalacademy.com/
I have been in contact with this group for a few months now before the Tsunami and believe they are really offering a good educational program for these children of poor fisher families , many of whom have now lost their livelihoods.
Thanks Debra Koehler Student of Human Geography OU England
Dear Students of Boyceville High,
It's great that you want to help out. But there are a few things you should consider before you launch a food drive:
First, if you donate food items, the relief societies and aid agencies will have to ship the food to the affected areas. Shipping by air or sea isn't free...that's why relief groups raise funds. Southeast Asia is a long way from Boyceville and shipping heavy food items here from the U.S. costs a lot of money.
Second, although the devastated areas truly have been destroyed, the countries they are in have not. Relief agencies ask for money because they use the funds raised to buy food and supplies within the countries where the tsunami struck. This helps in a couple of ways:
1. It circulates money and keeps people working in the local economy;
2. Less aid money is spent on shipping fees, so it can be used to buy more food, medicine and shelter items;
3. The food purchased locally is likely to be the food people are accustomed to eating. Food collected in other countries often goes to waste because it is unfamiliar or cannot be consumed due to religious reasons or cultural taboos.
Third, the reconstruction of the places destroyed by the tsunami will take a long, long time. There will surely be other ways your school can help. How about raising funds to rebuild a classroom or buy books for a school library in the tsumani-hit areas? Learn about the sports people play in the region -- maybe your school could help fund a school football (soccer) pitch, sepak court, or cricket ground.
Perhaps Boyceville could set up an sister city program with a community of a similar size in Sri Lanka, Indonesia or Thailand...
Hang on to your charitable impulse and you will find a way to make a difference.
-- A former Wisconsin resident living in SE Asia.
hi it is good that you guys are trying to help but yeah consider that shinpping isnt free eather...