When Jane Bauer began researching slavery for her adult discussion group at Jerusalem Presbyterian Church in Wisconsin, she was surprised and horrified to discover that there are children in Haiti who are trapped in slavery today.
Jane discovered the mission and work of Restavek Freedom and felt compelled to share this issue with the church’s youth group – the Kids in Action (KIAs) – as well.
“I wanted my young people to know about others like themselves who were experiencing this kind of life,” Jane recalls.
Moved and motivated by what they had learned, the KIAs sprang into action. The group collected a small donation to send to Restavek Freedom, and after receiving a response of gratitude, they felt compelled to do even more. “Hearing from Restavek Freedom directly really meant a lot to our kids,” said Jane.
Fast-forward to the summer months, and the KIAs – who don’t usually meet during the summertime – were presented with a unique challenge: every week for the entire summer, they were to record something they had done that would make God smile. In solidarity with the kids, Jane committed to donating a dollar for each moment that each child wrote down.
At the end of the summer, when all the moments and dollars had been tallied up, it was the children’s turn to issue a challenge, this time to the congregation: if any member wanted to match what had been raised by the kids, the KIAs would be delighted to receive those donations.
When all was said and done, the KIAs raised a remarkable $1,500 to help Restavek Freedom provide support services and programs to children in Haiti trapped in restavek. “You can imagine the excitement of the kids, ages ten to fourteen, in being able to do something like that!” remarked Jane.
And you can imagine the amazement of Restavek Freedom, too! Thank you to the big-hearted Kids in Action at Jerusalem Presbyterian Church for making a difference for children in Haiti!
If you would like to get your church or school involved, please contact us.
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