Among one of my favorite Kid City traditions is our annual Heifer Project. Each year our tutoring students “donate” tickets they have earned for good behavior and hard work (tickets that could otherwise be used to buy treats for themselves) to our Heifer Project. Mid-City Ministries matches each donated ticket with $1.oo that will be sent to Heifer International.
We discuss the various types of animals that Heifer sends to families and how those families can benefit from those animals. Our kids then vote for the one they want to choose with the money they have raised. For years we were in the rabbit- ducks- honeybee range, but as our program and children’s enthusiasm has grown, we have been able to aim for the bigger animals. This year our goal is to raise $250, enough for a water buffalo!
Our Quest kids are getting in on the project by cooking and serving dinner next Wednesday night. All of the money they raise through that meal will go towards matching the donated tickets.
I love watching our children decide how many tickets to donate. Everyone gets to make their own decision about if and how much to donate. I also loved hearing our Kid City veterans tell the younger students about the project and share their enthusiasm.
We’re all so excited that a group of elementary kids from New Orleans are on their way to providing a family in Asia with a water buffalo!
Jaden decorating his king cake.
It can’t be a camp reunion without some time set aside for a story! To celebrate this special day, we read from a book of poetry about American history. The pictures and words explained how all Americans throughout our history have always hoped for freedom, though guaranteeing equal rights for all has been a long and difficult process. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Obama have been part of that process, and we need to continue to show kindness to all people and help continue to make that dream of freedom a reality.
