An Alternative Christmas

by Jerry Gladbach, CFCA Child Services

Have you ever thought that a Christmas gift could impact not only on the giver, and the receiver, but also a youth in a developing country struggling to meet their basic needs or attend school?

Fair Trade Fair
Creative thinker, theology teacher and social justice advocate Marvin Grilliot knows the right Christmas gift has the potential to change a person’s life, and that is exactly what he set out to show the students of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo. Mr. Grilliot and members of the Social Justice League at Rockhurst High School created and hosted their first “Fair Trade” Fair. Mr. Grilliot envisioned a fair where Rockhurst students had a chance to buy fair-trade items or give an “alternative” gift to a loved one this Christmas. The theme of the fair was “Christmas with a Conscience.” Mr. Grilliot has been presenting sponsorship or a donation to the CFCA Scholarship Fund as an “alternative” way for a student or their family to celebrate Christmas this year.

CFCA was invited to share about our organization and I was honored to be a member of the team that attended the fair, held during the students’ activity period. CFCA had a booth with two tables sharing information about the CFCA Scholarship Fund and sponsorship. We also gave away “Walk with the Poor” bumper stickers and temporary tattoos. I got my first tat! It didn’t hurt much - no pain, no gain. I really enjoyed visiting with some of the great folks of “The Rock”! I was excited to see the students of Rockhurst energized about giving a gift with meaning and one that could truly help another person.

Isn’t that what Christmas is truly about? That’s what I believe. If you are inspired by Mr. Grilliot, the Rockhurst High School Social Justice League, and the students of Rockhurst High School, as I have been inspired, then I encourage you to give to the CFCA Scholarship Fund (as I did this Christmas in honor of my bro … I drew him this year for the annual Gladbach Family Secret Santa Exchange) or consider sponsoring an older teen and help someone achieve their dreams this Christmas season!

Many blessings this Christmas to you and yours and a happy 2008!
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Video: More from NCYC

Warm greetings to WALK supporters! Below is a video clip from our three-day excursion to Columbus, Ohio, to attend the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) last month. The WALK team launched www.walkwiththepoor.org Nov. 8 in conjunction with NCYC to match teens in the United States with teens across the world.

We wanted to thank all WALK participants once again, and wanted to show the rest of you what life was like for us and the teens who graced us by walking, singing and talking to teens internationally during our time in Columbus.



For those who don't know, NCYC is a three-day experience of prayer, community and empowerment for Catholic teenagers and their adult chaperones. CFCA and the WALK team will be proud to help with NCYC in 2009 as it will be in Kansas City, Mo., the hometown of CFCA.

Happy Holidays!!

- Sabrina and the WALK team
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World AIDS Day

Saturday, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. It's a time for us to stop for a minute and consider those affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide.

The statistics are startling.
• 33 million people are living with HIV
• 2.5 million of those living with HIV are children under the age of 15
• 22.5 million of those living with HIV are located in sub-Saharan Africa - that is more than two-thirds of all those living with HIV!


But, statistics easily overwhelm us. They don't seem real.

Yet, each number isn't just a number - it's a face, a personality, a life... just as real as me and just as real as you. 33 million real people who are suffering.

CFCA (sponsor of Walk with the Poor) works with people affected by AIDS in developing countries where we work.

Jose's* story
We work with Jose (not his real name),* a 14-year-old boy in Colombia who, along with his father and sister, is HIV-positive. AIDS is very misunderstood in his culture, so his illness is not disclosed to his community, for fear that his family would be viewed differently. Instead, Jose concentrates on his schooling, where he is studying engineering and teaching his father to read. Even though his life is hard, Jose hasn't given up - he has dreams and goals, just like we do. And sponsorship is helping him pursue those dreams, despite his illness.

Today, let's pray for those around the world affected by HIV/AIDS. Pray with compassion and conviction. They need our support.

You can pray for:

• Strength, peace and hope for those living with AIDS and those affected by the disease.
• Physical provision - adequate nutrition and medical care, both for those struggling with HIV/AIDS and the children orphaned by AIDS.
• Emotional support and friendship - because of lack of information, many cultures don't understand AIDS and therefore don't associate with those who have HIV/AIDS. Pray those affected would find friendship and support.

Learn more
Sponsorship eases burden of HIV/AIDS

Read more about students living in AIDS-affected areas who are waiting to be sponsored. Follow this link, scroll down and click on a name to read more about each student's life.

Want to do more? Join our prayer partner team.

*Name changed to protect his identity and respect his privacy.

Source: UNAIDS

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Congratulations, walkers! You walked 2,234 minutes!

Congratulations to everyone who walked on treadmills at NCYC! In total, NCYC attendees walked for 2,234 minutes at the three-day conference! That will pay for more than seven students’ scholarships for one year! On behalf of those students, we extend our sincere thanks. They now have the security of being able to go to school and the opportunity to live a better life.

Let’s keep the momentum going… there are more students living in extreme poverty who need your help!

Browse through the it’s easy to help section, choose a way to do something about poverty, and let us know if you have questions or other ideas! We want to hear from you.

We’ll post some video from NCYC here. Check out our Facebook group for more video and pictures, and tag yourself!

Also, let us know why you walked with the poor… post a comment on this blog!

For those of you who weren’t at the National Catholic Youth Conference, held Nov. 8-11 in Columbus, Ohio, we hosted an interactive exhibit that included live webcasts with youth in developing countries, a replica of a home in a developing country, and treadmills youth could walk on to literally walk with the poor, with every minute walked resulting in $1 donated to the scholarship program.
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Antony's dreams & realities

Watch Antony tell a little about his life in Africa.

Antony's words....

"When I finished my grade school in Nov. 2005, I had no hope of joining high school having been born in a family of three children and an orphaned cousin all being taken care of by our single mother. I had very little hope of joining high school even though when the results were out I was on the top-10 list of the best students. I had little to celebrate. When I got a chance again to visit the CFCA office to write for my siblings, I applied for a chance for the scholarship and my greatest joy was when I was informed that I had got a chance. I was so happy and for once in my life, I saw I had an opportunity to dream. I want to thank our dear sponsors for making it possible for us to go on with our education without any interruptions; a privilege that is only for the rich in our country and I want to give you my word that we will utilize these chances by doing our level best academically to uplift our living and that of our community at large."

- Antony, a sponsored student in Kenya

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Sisters, Allison and Karen

Allison and Karen are high schoolers and have been sponsoring children through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging for 7 years. It is a part of their lives and they tell us how it has affected who they are and their outlook on life.

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High school is not a given for all

Going to high school is still uncommon in a lot communities around the world. Jose lives in a small community of about 100 people outside of the city of Santa Barbara in Honduras. Basically everyone in Jose’s community works as farmers - hardly anyone had the opportunity to go to high school. One reason for not going to high school is that the families need their teenagers to help work in the fields so that the family can eat.

Jose is one of the first to give high school a try. He receives financial assistance from CFCA to attend an alternative high school with classes on the weekends. Jose works in the fields with his family during the week and goes into town for the weekend to go to school. It’s a pretty demanding load, but Jose believes the hard work will pay off if he can finish high school. His example is inspiring younger kids in the community to believe that high school is possible for them, too.

- Dan Pearson, CFCA International Project Coordinator
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