New Jersey student volunteer groups provide rays of hope to needy children around the world

For about 10 years, a group of New Jersey parents and close friends met at each other’s homes for social gatherings and play dates for their growing children.  The adults, active in charitable giving, agreed in 2008 to focus on helping the children better understand the importance and benefits that go along with service projects.

The group’s first project involved the children singing during the holidays at the Amelda Nursing Home in Perth Amboy, New Jersey for seniors who were more than happy to be visited by the young performers.  Deciding to become involved in at least one service project each year and formalizing the group by naming it became automatic after the highly successful experience at the nursing home.  

Photo: Copyright Biggs (Rays of Hope Student Volunteers)

Parent, Jessica Merriweather, suggested Rays of Hope as the name; which the group voted on unanimously.

In July 2009, 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization; Lifeline Foundation, Inc. ( LFI) , began organizing its 2009 Book Collection & Donation Drive to raise 1,000 children’s books written in English to donate to a needy public school in The Republic of Panamá as a way to help develop literacy, Bilingual Education, and a literacy-rich library at the impoverished school.

Rays of Hope parents Robert & Lisa Hall were among some of the student volunteer group parent leaders who began talking with LFI about involving student volunteers in the book drive once the new school year officially started in September.  Rays of Hope became involved in the literacy initiative immediately upon hearing about the book drive.

In early October, LFI members delivered a multi-media presentation to the group of 14 children and their parents at the home of The Hall Family, with one of their sons, Dorian, assisting with technology.

Photo: Copyright Biggs (Public School Library in Panamá)

The children ages 7 through 12 actively listened to and engaged in the presentation about service learning,  LFI’s 2009 Book Drive; and about the absence of Bilingual & ESL Education in Panamanian public schools.  Rays of Hope eagerly asked questions to learn more about how to bridge the gap between the educational benefits enjoyed in public schools in the United States and the lack of some of those benefits in Panamanian public schools.

In addition, the student volunteers presented LFI with a donation of almost 600 children’s books.

        Photo: Copyright Biggs (Rays of Hope partnering with LFI to extend helping hands to needy children)

One of the students, Nia Merriweather, and her parents, Phil and Jessica; decided to invite Nia’s gymnastics team, Northeast Elite @ Twisters in Lakewood, to run a drive at their practice studio.  Northeast Elite, a nationally competitive gymnastics team; and the owner of Twisters in Lakewood, New Jersey, organized an LFI book drive that yielded a donation of almost 700 children’s books, 21 DVDs and 84 VHS tapes.  In addition,  various educational toys were donated, and all of the donations were counted by Nia's oldest of two brothers, Phillip II.  After hearing the presentation in October, their other brother, Marques, began thinking of service projects Rays of Hope can help organize to further assist the needy students.

With a growing portfolio that already includes two successful major service learning projects, parent, Glenn Richardson and the other Rays of Hope parents will now look into applying for non-profit status for the student volunteer group.

Lifeline Foundation, Inc. will host a Student Volunteer Service Learning Award Ceremony in 2010 to recognize the efforts of Rays of Hope, Northeast Elite and other student volunteer groups that partnered with them during the 2009 Book Drive to help collect over 5,000 books that can now be donated to assist several needy public schools.

Anyone interested in having a student volunteer group partner with Lifeline Foundation, Inc. on future service learning projects can e-mail them at: info@MyLifelineFoundation.org.

Service learning, according to Youth Serve America, is a teaching and learning strategy integrating meaningful community service with academic study and reflective practice to enrich learning, build civic engagement, and strengthen communities.  Researchers such as Skinner, Chapman, Root, Sullivan, and others, have suggested benefits attached to actively engaging children in ongoing service learning projects:

Encouraged development of professional attitudes and values in students
Greater success in learning how to deal with others
Elevated confidence and self-esteem levels
Increased positive attitudes about community participation
Heightened global awareness about diversity issues and perspectives
Fostered higher achievement and retention rates at all levels of education
Nurtured college and career advancement
Thoughtful self-reflection and reflection about the condition of others
Strengthened global community
Deeper sense of inner contentment as a result of helping others

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.  This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog.  View Sharon's other published works at www.examiner.com.

Contact Sharon directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)