Aden and Lauren are only nine and seven years old, but they are already making big
contributions to their community. These
two youth volunteers have been involved in Hands4Hope for nearly two years, helping
in many of the community outreach programs.
When asked what
kinds of volunteer work they do for Hands4Hope, Aden and Lauren explained that
they feed the homeless, raise money for food shelters, make care packages for
soldiers and make blankets for shelters and dog toys for homeless dogs.
Aden and Lauren
attend Jackson Elementary School in first and third grades, where they are
involved in the Toiletries Drive. “We
collect soap, conditioner, sunscreen, diapers, toilet paper and toothbrushes to
donate to those people who don’t have them but need them,” said Aden and
Lauren.
Lauren said that
her favorite volunteer outreach with Hands4Hope is feeding the homeless and
making cards for them, adding “but almost everything at Hands4Hope is really
fun.”
Aden likes
meeting up with his friends at The Team Hope elementary school club to decide
on a new volunteer project to do. This
year, Aden is very excited to be involved in raising money for the Heifer
Project.
Heifer
Project is an organization that takes animals to villages in third world
countries. Rather than bringing them food and clothing, the organization
teaches them how to use these animals as a means to make money. The village
people have to reproduce these animals and give them to someone in their
village.
“The kids set
a goal to raise $80 to buy rabbits and chicks,” explained Katie, Aden
and Lauren’s mom. “So far, Team Hope has
exceeded their goal so the kids will meet to vote on what to buy with the
additional money. The choice is either more
animals for Heifer Project, or cat food for the Fat Kitty City organization.”
When not
volunteering for Hands4Hope, Aden enjoys reading books, playing soccer and
baseball, and his favorite subject in school in math. When he grows up, Aden would like to invent a
flying car with monster engines on its side.
Lauren said that
soccer is her favorite activity, while demonstrating a very awesome looking
soccer kick. She also loves gymnastics,
singing, dancing and shopping. Shopping
for what? “Clothes! She loves clothes,”
said her brother Aden. When Lauren grows
up, she would like to be a real estate agent and a grocery store checker.
“I love that
my children are involved with Hands4Hope because it has given them a different
perspective on the world that parents struggle to get across just using words,”
said their mom. “My kids now spend a lot more time doing things for others, and
they now realize that not everyone is as fortunate as we are. They are also
learning about setting goals and working as a group towards a greater good.”
