Goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, heifers, sheep, bees,
alpacas – and also clean water and sending a girl to school. Lincoln
Middle School eighth-graders are currently working on an unusual
fundraiser so they can buy those “gifts” for families living in poverty
around the world.
“We are partnering with Heifer
International to support families living with hunger and in extreme
poverty,” said math teacher Claire Olson-Crocker. “Students learned
about how this program helps people become self-reliant instead of
giving them a temporary handout. Each student has identified a ‘gift’ that they want to purchase for a family.”
In
order to get funding for the gifts, students are employing a number of
strategies. For example, Olson-Crocker said, “each student has written a
persuasive letter to a business, telling them about Heifer
International, the gift they hope to give and asking for support.” They
are also making a list of relatives, neighbors and family friends who
might be able to help and saving their spare change.
Heifer
International is a nonprofit that works in 125 countries to help
families in poverty attain sustainable livelihoods through
community-owned interventions.
The students, who will be
accepting donations into early May, hope to raise $3,000. It’s
anticipated that at least some of the funds they raise will be matched
by a local business and other donors. “We hope to be able to have twice
the impact,” Olson-Crocker said.
They’ve learned how to
write persuasively and how to address envelopes. “Some students who
have not shown much interest in writing before have actually written
multiple letters,” Olson-Crocker said.
The students also have watched videos that informed them about poverty and hunger in various locations.
“It
is reassuring to see how many students are excited about being able to
help families in need,” she said. “If students learn that they have the
power to change one family's life, and collectively we have the power to
improve the lives of people living in a small village, we will have
empowered them to think globally in the future.”
To donate, go to https://fundraise.heifer.org/
Look for Lincoln Middle School under the heading "Find and Support a Team."