February 18, 2011
Starting with a $5 bill — Resurrection first graders learn to ‘make a difference’
Resurrection first grader Kaden Waugerman is surrounded by items he purchased for PAAWS as part of his teacher’s “Make a Difference” program. Jennifer Vangampler gave each student $5 and suggested they find a worthy cause in their community. They were allowed to ask family members to donate also. Kaden chose PAAWS because “they find foster homes for homeless animals.” He collected $95 which he added to his $5, and then he purchased food, treats and toys for the animals. Click for a larger version.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
Children in Jennifer Vangampler’s first grade class are learning how to make a difference, in keeping with this year’s diocesan theme.
Under her direction, the Resurrection students have “helped to lift the spirits of the sick and elderly in our community with lovely handmade cards and heartfelt prayers,” she said.
“I am so proud of the effort they have put forth for this mission. I think it came as a surprise to the first graders that little ones like them could ‘make a difference’ in the lives of others.”
The project began with a challenge: each student received a $5 bill from their teacher and a few guidelines about how to use the money. They were encouraged to work with their families to help determine who could benefit the most from money, and once they determined the recipients, they were able to ask others to contribute to their project.
“I chose to use my own money for my first graders’ project,” the teacher said. “I figured if I asked for a corporate donation it wasn’t really setting the example I was aiming for — giving of yourself. I was amazed at the results of this project.
“The first graders and their families came up with some excellent ways to make a difference! What impresses me most is how some of the students have told me that they felt so good doing this they want to do it again.
“One mother even said that she wants her children at home to do one of the projects that a first grader did. That project was taking food to shut-ins.”
Here is what the children did with their money
• Justin Abney took his $5 and chose Haiti Earthquake Relief as his project. “On January 12, 2010, Haiti had a huge earthquake. One-million three-hundred thousand people lost their homes.
“The American Red Cross will make sure my five dollar bill will help buy tents for the homeless or help build hospitals for the sick. I hope these people get happy.”
• Shane Chancellor took his money plus $95 from his family for his project. “One out of five children will go to bed hungry tonight,” he said. “I gave my $5 plus money from my family to the FHFH. FHFH stands for Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Homeless.
“Scott Hurt, a police sergeant in Evansville, heads the Evansville FHFH. He told me that local hunters can donate their deer during hunting season. The FHFH then takes the deer to a local butcher shop to be processed into venison or deer meat. This is the same way that a cow becomes steak and hamburgers or a pig becomes bacon or ham.
“The FHFH collects money to cover the processing fees. The processed meat then goes to local food pantries to feed the homeless. In the last four years, the FHFH has donated over 15,000 lbs. of venison.
“Sergeant Hurt said that venison is an abundant food source that is high in protein and low in fat. It can be cooked and seasoned in many different ways. Most people would never guess that they are eating deer meat. The meat can be made into steaks, jerky or ground up to use in chili, spaghetti, tacos, and more.”
• Devon Folz said he gave his $5 to the Little Lambs program at the Women’s Hospital where his mom works. The Little Lambs buy baby supplies for moms in need including diapers, bottles, strollers and car seats. He said, “It makes me feel good for helping the babies and their moms.”
• Christian Head’s donation came to $205. He said, “I wanted to help out people in Africa who do not have a lot of food. I wanted to give something that would last a long time, so I sent animals and trees. I raised $205 to send two goats, two chickens and five fruit trees. The animals will provide yogurt, milk, eggs and cheese to eat and sell at the market. The trees will give fruit to eat.”
• Joseph Helfrich’s money, $5 plus $20 in donations from his family, is heading to the Ronald McDonald House, a place “for families to stay when they have a child in the hospital far away from their home.
• Cole Knapp sent $35 to the Humane Society. “I chose the Humane Society. I collected money from family and friends. I bought toys for the cats and dogs. I also got cat litter, trash bags and buckets that were on the wish list.
“My mom and dad took me to the shelter. I thought it smelled bad! We gave the workers my donations and they were happy. Then I walked around and looked at all 95 cats and I saw one dog. The shelter was closing so we left. I felt good giving supplies to the homeless animals.”
• Tyler Martin said he collected $22 from his family which he added to his five dollars. “My dad and I went to Aldis and bought food for the Ozanam Family Shelter. We took the food to the shelter and they gave it to the families. The families cooked the food and then they ate the food. This made them very happy.”
• Carter Marx chose to do-nate $25 to the Evansville Christian Life Center. “In addition to donating money, my brothers and I went through all our old toys and were able to get a big box together for them. My mom and dad donated some extra money also. I wanted to choose a charity for less fortunate people because not everybody can just go out and buy new things. It made me feel happy inside to be able to help others.”
He added, “This is something I will never forget. And I would like to do it again.”
• Eli McDurmon said, “My mom has MS so I decided to donate my $5 to the MS Society. I then challenged others to match my five dollar donation. I raised a total of $20 for the Tri-State MS Society.”
• Sophie Oliver chose to collect money for Albion Fellows Bacon Center, a “secret place where moms and their children can live to be safe. Here they can cook meals, sleep and play without being scared.
“I asked my family and friends if they would donate money for my project. I collected $100.” She was told the money will be used to buy pots and pans for the center’s kitchen.
• Joseph Oursler sent $25 to St. Vincent de Paul “to help the poor people in the area and help children have fun.”
• Megan Postletheweight gave $25 to the Tri-State Food Bank. “They can buy food for the people that can’t afford it.”
• Alyssa Sparks said, “With my $10 we made soup, cookies and placemats. We got names and addresses of older people that live alone. We surprised them with hot soup for supper.”
One of the women, Irene, kept saying “I can’t get over this.”
• Jenna Vieck said she was watching TV and saw that “a lot of pets were cold and hungry because of the cold weather and a lot were taken to the animal shelter. My momma and papa each gave me $10 so I had $25 to give. When we went to the shelter I gave them the $25 and explained ‘Making a Difference.’ They were very happy and thanked me for thinking of them.”
• Kelsey Wassmer collected used and new books to give to St. Vincent’s Day Care. “I asked my school, family and friends to help me collect books. So far I have collected 501 books.”
She went to St. Vincent’s recently to deliver the books and read to some pre-school children. I collected $30 and bought new books for the children also.” She added, “I wanted to do this because I love to read and reading is very important . . . . It felt really good to know that even though I am small I can still make a difference in someone’s life.”
• Kaden Waugerman chose to donated to PAAWS. “PAAWS helps to save the lives of cats and dogs. They find foster homes for homeless animals. I raised money and bought food, treats and toys for them. I raised $100.”
• Jake Will sent $25 to the Ronald McDonald House. “When I was born I had to stay in the hospital for a month because I was so little. My mom and dad got to come see me every day. Some babies’ moms and dads lived far away so they could not come every day because it cost a lot of money to drive there and stay in a hotel. I collected some more money and want my donation to go to the Ronald McDonald House so other kids’ moms and dads can be with them when they are in the hospital.”