Read To Feed Reaching For The Goal Line

Alexis has officially began reading for Read To Feed. Her goal is to raise $100 to give a gift of livestock to a family in extreme poverty. The money will be donated to Heifer International an organization that has been around for 65 years giving those in need a hand up not a hand out. Along with the gift of livestock the family receiving this gift will also get the training needed to raise the livestock.

A gift of one flock of chickens will provide a family in need with a sustainable living. Chickens produce eggs, a good source of protein. The eggs can be used for food and they can also be taken to the market and sold, giving a family a source of income. The chicken manure can be used to create a fertile compost to add to a garden therefore yielding more produce. Adding a rooster to the flock will allow the flock to grow and empower the family to "pass on the gift." Each participant who receives a gift of livestock from Heifer also agrees to give away an offspring to a neighbor, this is what Heifer International calls "passing on the gift". Passing on the gift produces a continuing chain of giving and has the power to lift an entire village out of poverty!

Below you will find a donation button if you would like to contribute to this wonderful cause. Our average donation is $5.00/person. That is equivalent to 25¢/book and Alexis pledges to read 20 books by December 6, 2011.

Teaching For Social Justice

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I wanted to do a big project with Alexis involving philanthropy. We will be utilizing the learning through literature approach with this topic and I have gathered a long list of picture books on the subjects of poverty, hunger and homelessness.

If you have been following my blog, you know we have already begun with our learning about the Tippy Tap...that is just a fun phrase to say out loud : )

With this project, I will be posting all of the details at Alexis World Traveler.

Today's post is about a true story, that takes place in Ghana, called One Hen. A very inspirational story of how one small loan to buy one brown hen made a big difference.