Today we received a new blog prompt to write about the following topic. "How did you start serving those in need and what works best?"
This is such a broad topic that I'd like to throw a few random ideas out there of ways to serve those in need in small ways, as well as our main way of helping those in need: Sponsoring kids with Compassion International!
Some random ways we help those in need are by giving money to our church, to other local/national charities, helping donate food to a food drive, donate items to women's shelters, etc. We went on a mission trip to Costa Rica a few years ago with church and helped out at an orphanage for a week. We try to help our neighbors, friends/family, etc. when we can and just be helpful people (since those in need might not always be in poverty....they might just be someone without the same skills as you). What works best is doing what you financially and physically are able to do at the time. No one can be expected to give millions or work full time volunteering (although it would be awesome if we had those capabilities!) so any good deed is appreciated by the recipient. Even kind words of encouragement can go a long way to brighten someone's day (which is free).
Our main way of helping those in need is by sponsoring children with Compassion International. Over the past 3.5 years, being sponsors has been so rewarding for us. By sponsoring, we see the good it does in their lives to have a sponsor who cares for them, writes to them, and helps them with their basic needs (through the Compassion project they belong to). We've also had the opportunity to visit 5 of our 14 kids so far and those are life changing experiences and memories. Being able to see their homes, the poverty they live in, meet their families and see the joy they have in their lives (despite their poverty), etc. was amazing. Even being a correspondence sponsor has been a really rewarding thing to bring encouragement and support into the children's lives through the letters we write, stickers we send, and birthday gift money we send too.
I strongly encourage you to sponsor a child today. It is $38 a month (for us, its eating out one or two less times a month) and you are helping one child help break the cycle of poverty through sponsorship and encouraging words in the letters you write them (and they write back wonderful letters too!). Click on the links on this blog to sponsor a child today. Thanks for reading.
