Volunteer Mother/Daughter Teams Promote Global Peace

Kym Elam and daughters Natalie and Annaliese of NCL sort and pack donated school supplies at BftB for their less-advantaged classmates overseas.

The National Charity League’s mission to “foster the mother-daughter relationship in a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences” was fulfilled once again in Concord, California, where teams of mothers and daughters volunteered their time and effort at BOOKS for the BARRIOS.

In the month of June, several groups from NCL visited the BOOKS for the BARRIOS headquarters and packed an estimated 150 boxes of books and educational supplies, ranging from 20 to 50 pounds. After the experience, Kym Elam – a mother who brought in her two daughters, Natalie and Annaliese, to volunteer – commented on the BOOKS for the BARRIOS effort, “I like the girls to understand where the donations go. It’s not only giving for them, but also getting – a wonderful cultural experience. I’m always in shock to think about something we take advantage of, like books, being something some children have never seen before.”

After sorting and packing donated books and materials, Natalie shares why she particularly enjoys the experience, “I like to read, and I like that, by helping out here, I can share that opportunity with someone in need.” The mother and daughter team also expressed how thoroughly they enjoyed learning about Philippine culture while doing important work.

Having packed over one hundred boxes, Natalie and her fellow National Charity League volunteers can take pride in their humanitarian effort to “think globally, act locally.”

PHILIPPINE CHILDREN MANDATED TO ATTEND PUBLIC PRE-SCHOOLS

BOOKS for the BARRIOS Collecting Deficient School Supplies

In its move toward education reform, the Philippine Department of Education established the Universal Kindergarten Education program that mandates that children turning five years old by June to October be provided public pre-school. Permanent teachers in the public school system are to handle not more than two classes of 30 pupils; volunteer teachers are instructed to handle not more than one class of 30 students.

The implementation of Universal Kindergarten Education aims to reach out to the poorest households in the Philippines and to provide free pre-school public education so that children may be ready for the primary grades. Unfortunately, the Department of Education currently is not in position to provide the necessary resources for the program; luckily, help is on the way from kids in California. BOOKS for the BARRIOS in Concord is conducting a special donation drive to collect the material resources and funding to provide for the expected influx of millions of new pupils into the public system that will otherwise overwhelm the nation’s schools ability to meet the challenge.

A report this week states that one of the BftB National Model-of-Excellence Program schools in Manila has three pre-school classes with 50 students in each class. Another told of one pre-school class with 100 students. These classrooms, are in need of school supplies, books and learning materials to facilitate the mandatory expansion process now underway.

Those interested in helping the “…project of the heart” may do so through donations of these crucial school materials. BOOKS for the BARRIOS offers tax-deduction receipts and community appreciation. Bring donations to the organization’s headquarters at 2350 Whitman Road, Suite D Concord, CA 94518  Tel. 925-687-7701 www.booksforthebarrios.org  info@booksforthebarrios.org

The play area of a Model School library

Murals and bright colors make learning fun!

Model School libraries are filled with plenty of books!

Crayons for Peace

From Colorado to the Philippines: Crayons for Peace
By Roschelle Lowe

For the past fifteen years, Green Mountain United Methodist Church in Colorado has been collecting end-of-year school supplies for BOOKS for the BARRIOS – a volunteer-led non-profit organization operated by volunteer American schoolchildren. Based in Concord, California, the humanitarian grassroots community action program ships thousands of tons of educational books and supplies to underdeveloped public schools in remote villages in the Philippines.

This year the volunteers of Green Mountain UMC executed a drive that enabled all of the schoolchildren of the Denver area to donate 80 boxes of crayons weighing 30 pounds each – over a ton altogether! Long-time organizers Brenda Bronson and Tom Walker promoted the passion for sharing that touched the hearts of each donor. Green reuse action of educational resources helps the environment in both countries and promotes peace and goodwill.  Green Mountain UMC has shown that public education opportunity sharing is an essential element of our American humanitarian foreign policy in the 21st Century.

Peace Activists Brenda Bronson and Thomas Walker proudly display hundreds of bags of crayons Green Mountain UMC collected from Denver Area schoolchildren.