Thirty-eight dollars doesn’t go far in our society these days, but it makes a huge difference in the lives of children living in third world countries through the efforts of Compassion International. Compassion is a Christian organization that connects, through local church affiliates, one-to-one sponsor families with children ages 3 - 22 in 26 impoverished countries in Africa, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. A $38-per-month sponsorship helps provide food, clothing, health care, education and spiritual support. Throughout the program, local families and the child they sponsor have the opportunity to correspond with each other, which makes a great teaching tool for kids to learn the importance of giving back and what a difference one person can make.

Just ask singer Amy Grant, who has been a long-time supporter and spokesperson for Compassion. She has seen firsthand the benefit of child sponsorship through trips she and her family have made to Guatemala and Uganda.

“It was a heart trip,” Grant says of her first trip to Guatemala several years ago. “It really changed my perspective seeing children living in houses with dirt floors and digging through nearby garbage heaps as far as the eye can see looking for anything salvageable ... it makes you understand that most of us in America have so much more than we need.” On the last part of Grant’s visit, she got to meet one of the children she sponsored at the time (who has since graduated out of the program), Luis and his mother. “I will never forget the impact it had on me when Luis’ mother smiled, grabbed my hand and said, ‘You will never understand how our lives have changed because of you sponsoring my son.’”

Grant says one of her favorite things about Compassion is the way it helps connect the dots. “God provides through people, and one life touching another creates a domino effect of God’s goodness rippling through many other lives. And this is not just about early childhood development, but also about developing leaders who can go and have a dramatic impact in the countries they come from.”

Through the organization’s correspondence aspect of the program, American children can learn a lot about the basic need and value of giving. Grant’s youngest daughter, 10-year-old Corrina, is a prime example. “Corrina writes letters back and forth regularly with the Compassion child she sponsors,” Grant says. “She recently said to me, ‘There is a difference only I can make,’ and that’s an important reality for people of any age to grasp.”

To learn more about Compassion International, or to sponsor a child, visit compassion.com.

’tis the season to volunteer with your family

Donelson Place Care and Rehabilitation Center  |  885-0483 • signaturehealthcarellc.com
Ages 14 and older can entertain senior patients by playing games and reading to them. You can also take part in the Adopt-a-Grandparent program.

Hands-on Nashville  |  298-1108 • hon.org
Volunteering is available for ages 5 and older to help with Family Sort Nights for Second Harvest Food Bank, while Youth Volunteer Corps for ages 11 - 18 allows kids to sign up for service projects.

Salvation Army  |  242-0411, ext. 109 • salarmy-nashville.org
All ages can ring bells for kettle collections. Teens can help sort and distribute Angel Tree donations.

Second Harvest Food Bank  |  329-3491 • secondharvestmidtn.org
Ages 12 and older can help sort and box food, and ages 9 and older can help pack backpacks on Thursday nights from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Walden’s Puddle  |  299-9938 • waldenspuddle.org
Ages 16 and older can help care for the animals by cleaning cages, feeding, assisting with public programs and more.

Find more local volunteering opportunities online at volunteermatch.org, where you can search by Zip code or by type of service project.