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A Thank You From Billy Fettweis of Servathon 2008 |
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Written by Billy Fettweis
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Friday, May 30, 2008 |
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Thank you so much for participating in Servathon on Saturday, May 3rd! Together we made a huge impact on the improvement of the DC Public Schools. More than 3,200 people invested over 12,000 hours in a variety of service activities - painting classrooms, revitalizing playgrounds, landscaping, providing trainings on job skills and technology for teachers and students, and collecting books to help build schools libraries. Beyond the numbers, though, make no mistake about the impact you had on Saturday.
This might seem like something small to you, just a few hours on a Saturday morning. But think about the fact that there is a direct correlation between the state of a school’s facilities and the success of the students attending the school.
Think about how painting a four-square or hopscotch game on the black top where before there was only pavement provides children with fun and entertainment. How painting lockers in bright rainbow colors where before there was only peeling, cracked old paint helps students feel pride in their school. How helping high school juniors write better resumes will give them tools necessary to get a good job.
Although you may not directly see the effects that these changes have on the students at these schools, I can only imaging how they felt when they arrived at school this morning, and how grateful they are for your service. Knowing that 3,200 people came out on a beautiful Saturday morning to improve their lives and contribute to their education will give them a sense of support and community that can give them the impetus to succeed against the many obstacles they face.
When you think about the collective difference we made, not just in the appearance of facilities but also in the lives of so many children, the impact is awe-inspiring.
Billy Fettweis
Volunteer Services Coordinator
Greater DC Cares
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Episcopal Relief & Development Stories from the Field
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Read true stories of success and triumph from some of the countries where we work. You will receive new and featured stories from our partners in the field as they are published. |
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A Boat of Her Own
Elena is a food vendor in the community of Uros-Chulluni, Peru, where the only mode of transportation is by boat. The expense of renting a boat to sell her food limited both her business growth and mobility. Although Elena dreamed of owning her own boat, she had no collateral to secure one. Through a micro-finance program supported by Episcopal Relief & Development, the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund and the Anglican Diocese of Peru, Elena and her neighbors formed a community bank. She was then able to obtain a small loan without traditional collateral, enabling her to buy her own boat. Now Elena’s business has expanded to include not only the sale of food, but also handicrafts and candy. She’s thankful to Episcopal Relief & Development for showing her how to improve her income, continue her children’s education and strengthen her family.
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Building Access to Clean Water
Maria, her husband Juan and their five children knew the harmful effects of dirty, contaminated water in their village of Bijagua, Nicaragua. They used to bring the household water for cooking, bathing, drinking and washing in buckets from a stream 10 minutes away from their home — the same stream where cattle roamed. The children were constantly sick with diarrhea, and getting the water each day was a real burden. “Our daughter spent so much time carrying water, she was falling behind in her school work. We always worried about her walking alone in the dark of the early mornings and evenings. There are poisonous snakes around here,” said Maria. Episcopal Relief & Development partnered with El Porvenir, an organization that works in Nicaraguan communities to develop water, sanitation and re-forestation projects. The program also provided Maria and her community with education and training on properly maintaining the water system, water hygiene and protecting children and families from preventable, water-related diseases. Instances of water-borne illnesses were also tracked by local health monitors. Now Bijagua has safe water and residents can stay healthy. “Our daughter is excelling in school now that she doesn’t have to carry buckets of water. And the children don’t have diarrhea anymore,” Maria stated.
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