Let’s Read to Feed!

Let’s go for it, let’s think big! This summer let’s empower our children and help them discover that they have the power to change the world.

While we are encouraging our children to read this summer we can be helping poor families all over the world! Read to Feed is a reading motivation/service learning program from Heifer International. Children are inspired to read more books for pleasure, while raising money, through sponsored reading, to help end world hunger and improve the environment.

I first became aware of this program when we lived near the Heifer Ranch in Arkansas. Our family read the book “Faith the Cow.” By the end of the book our eyes were filled with tears but our hearts were full of hope! Heifer International is truly a wonderful organization.

What is Heifer International?

“Heifer International works to end world hunger and save the earth. For close to 60 years, Heifer has helped more than four million impoverished families in 128 countries lift themselves out of poverty and achieve self-reliance.

The idea is simple and it works. Instead of providing hungry families with a non-renewable source of food, Heifer International provides a “living loan” of an animal. The family’s health and standard of living is greatly improved by what that animal can provide. This might be milk from a cow or goat, eggs from poultry, meat from rabbits, draft power from water buffalo or wool from llamas.

Key to success of the program is that Heifer provides extensive training in animal care, ecologically sound agriculture practices and community development. The result is to transform not just families, but the environment and community.

Another key cornerstone of Heifer International is “passing on the gift.” Families who receive an animal repay the loan by passing on one or more of the animals’ offspring to other needy families. That family passes on their gift to another family and so on. So one gift multiplies through the community.

Heifer International currently provides more than 27 types of animals that provide food and/or income to struggling families in 48 countries (including the U. S.)”

So what do you think? I think that if we all work together we can purchase an Ark of animals.

I know this is a lofty goal but lets think big! We would have to tell everyone we know. We would have to ask every child we know to start reading and to ask for sponsors. Once children receive money for reading their books they can go here and make their donation. You may click on this page at any time to see a running total of how much we have collected. The site accepts credit cards. I am sorry but the minumum donation is $10.00. If you were wanting to make a smaller donation, maybe you and a friend could make a donation together. Join as a team member and you will have the ability to e-mail friends, solicit donations and make your donations in your name.

The Read to Feed website is full of fantastic learning materials, fun and games! I will try to highlight some of the materials here in the coming weeks. I will also try to post a little review about some of our favorite books and a craft each week.

• reading-log1
• Informational sheet and sponsor pledge form
• A free book, “Beatrice’s Goat” for the first 50 donations received at team Skip to my lou (please join team Skip to my Lou to make your donation and then e-mail me at cindyhopperATgmailDOTcom if you are one of the first 50 donations THANKS)

I hope you will join us on this little reading adventure this summer! Together we can make a difference!

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Tags: charity, children's activities, Heifer International, Reed to Feed, things kids can do to change the world