Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Trivia for a non-trivial cause

By Larry Livingston, CFCA Director of Church Relations


Do you know which two U.S. presidents died on the same day, or what the Doppler Effect is? Would you recognize a song by “Men Without Hats” if you heard it, or be able to name the movie for which Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar? If these questions have begun to stir your brain cells, you probably would have been right at home at the second annual Trivia Night on Jan. 12 at Good Shepherd Church in Shawnee, Kan.

My wife, Kristi, and I belong to an adoption and infertility group at Good Shepherd. This group, Family Ties, provides information and support for families with adopted children and those looking into adoption. They also sponsor Trivia Night as a way to raise awareness of the group and nurture fellowship within the parish and broader communities.

Just as importantly, the proceeds from Trivia Night are being used by Family Ties to sponsor four deserving youth featured on Walk with the Poor. Created to benefit older teens needing short-term sponsorship to complete their educations, Walk with the Poor was chosen by the Family Ties membership not only because it reflects the values of the group, but also because the short-term nature of the program is ideal for fund-raising.

Based on advance sales for Trivia Night, we knew how much money we could safely commit to sponsorship. This allowed us to select three youth before the event: Caroline, 19, from Kenya, Gino, 16, from the Philippines, and Heily, 17, from Guatemala. Additional donations the night of the event made it possible to sponsor a fourth youth, still to be selected.

We would encourage any group to consider a Walk with the Poor youth as the beneficiary for your fund-raising efforts. Your members can feel great in knowing that they have given a deserving young person their best opportunity to rise out of oppressive poverty through education. And, with a little creative thinking and some good, old-fashioned teamwork, you can have a heck of a good time while doing it!

By the way, Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar for Unforgiven. You’ll have to look the rest up yourself.

Do you have a Walk with the Poor fundraising story? Send us an e-mail at stories@walkwiththepoor.org!

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

Cold weather and strong winds affect sponsored families in El Salvador


Henry Flores, Director of Communications Center - El Salvador, wrote the following reflection about recent events affecting sponsored families in his country. You may remember Henry from NCYC, if you attended.

The joy and happiness of Christmas and hope for the New Year have been darkened in the life of many CFCA sponsored families in El Salvador.

During the first week of January, Central America was affected by a cold front and strong winds. The highlands of El Salvador registered temperatures of 5 degrees to 6 degrees Celsius (41 degrees to 43 degrees Fahrenheit) and winds 46 to 50 miles-per-hour, which are not normal conditions for the country.

For some of us, these would not be considered critical weather conditions, but we must remember that many of our sponsored families live in unacceptable conditions, sleeping in homes made from cardboard and plastic materials, rusted metal sheet roofs, two to three children sleeping in the same bed, and surviving, in many cases, on less than a dollar a day. Because of the weather conditions, many sponsored families in the areas of Juayua and Ahuachapán have lost the roof of their house and, in some cases, have lost their entire home.

Our CFCA team in Sonsonate has traveled to the area and is identifying families that have been affected. Currently, more than 20 sponsored families have been identified with housing needs.

To provide a fast and adequate response to the emergency, CFCA’s Santa Ana project is working to find resources from grants and special donations of sponsors. We believe that we will identify more sponsored families that have been affected as we continue visiting communities. Within the following days, we hope to initially invest more than $5,000 in materials to repair or rebuild houses.

The Santa Ana project is also providing access to health care for sponsored children suffering respiratory problems as a result of the cold weather, the dust and inadequate treatment during this time of crisis.

The vulnerability of the poor goes far beyond the fact that they do not have access to proper nutrition or education. Their whole life is fragile. An unexpected illness, accident or natural disaster can affect the stability of their entire life. There is a silent cry coming from people in need around the world, and we must hear their cry and answer with effective, transparent and stable benefits and services for them. We must make our best effort to contribute to change their life and help them reach their desired potential.

May God bless the CFCA worldwide community of compassion, which offers a hopeful response to these families in moments of emergency and through the benefits and services sponsors are offering to them every month.

If you would like to help, you can donate to CFCA's Disaster Assistance Fund. One hundred percent of donations to this fund are sent to CFCA projects to help individuals and families affected by disasters. Funds donated are used where they are most needed, and CFCA retains discretion as to the use of the funds. In addition to emergency relief, contributions may be used for long-term assistance.

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Thursday, January 3, 2008

Thanks, volunteers!

Today, 12 seniors from Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo., spent the day at CFCA completing service hours for school. They helped stuff folders that we use to tell others about sponsorship. We appreciate their hard work, and contribution to the worldwide community of compassion.

The work of volunteers allows us to serve children, youth and the aging sponsored through CFCA more efficiently. So, thanks guys! Our sponsored friends thank you, too! Keep walking...






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Friday, December 21, 2007

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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Thursday, December 13, 2007

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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Thursday, November 29, 2007

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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Wednesday, November 14, 2007

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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