110 degrees magazine - Index

110 degrees magazine - magazine_08 - Index

PEEKS I PERSONA
that he said was for the fifth child, but the envelope
actually contained a check for $500.
The experience encouraged Tyler to reset his
goals. When he asked my advice I told him, “Reach
for the stars. You never know how much you can
get.” He organized his friends in creating a series
of carwashes and lemonade sales with an aim to
raise $50,000 before the end of the year.
Little brother Ryan turned into a great
supporter. He attends all the events cheerfully
performing such tasks as handing out cookies and
dishing up ice cream.
We’re not trusting in Oprah for our information;
I’ve become a specialist on projects in Ghana
geared at helping children. Eric Peasah, who is
from Ghana and who organizes missions to rescue
children, came here in July to present the situation
to us directly.
Other teachers began calling us with ideas and
offers to help. We’ve started a website that is getting
the message out. A little girl from Vacaville, for
example, wrote, “I love your website. My friend and
I raised $53 through our lemonade stand.”
Tyler’s vision led us to start an organization
that we named Kids Helping Kids. Last May we
received our 501(c)3 tax deferred status. I joined
the Rotary and began pushing the Rotarian ideal
of “Service Before Self” by reaching out with the
message to fellow Rotarians, as well as to
church members, politicians, teachers, or
doctors…. Anyone who will listen. In the first
eight months we raised $23,113.
We’ve had many other carwashes and lemonade
sales for several other efforts besides Project
Ghana. Last October, for example, nine-year-old
Brianna came up with the idea to give Christmas
to the rescued children in Africa. We sent 500
backpacks full of school supplies like pens,
pencils, pads, and rulers.
Last November one of the mom’s, Laurie
Restani, got the idea for a project called Bringing
20 www.110mag.com January/February 2008
“STOP AND LISTEN TO YOUR KIDS. THEY
HAVE GREAT IDEAS FOR MAKING THINGS DIF-
FERENT AND THE ENERGY TO PUT THE
IDEAS INTO PRACTICE.”
Holidays to Our Troops. Nearly 100 children
worked together to provide more than 6,000 zip
lock baggies full of chocolate, chewing gum,
and mints they had taken from their own
Halloween bags, each with a personalized
Christmas photo of the kids.
We delivered these to the Blue Star Moms
who added them to the Christmas Care packages
they were sending to the service people in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
There were a lot of wows by the kids at how
much candy we collected and support we
received. The project required only two weeks. And
the kids felt inspired and amazed by what they
had accomplished.
INTERNAL TRANSFORMATIONS
One of the most powerful things for me that
has occurred through this amazing series of
events is observing the change that the experience
has made in Tyler’s own life and character.
The project has changed him in remarkable
ways, and opened his eyes to the possibility of
caring for others.
For example, we recently were at one of
Tyler’s baseball games. A little girl was sitting
beside us on the bench and three others playing
together on the ground. Tyler was riding his
scooter around. He stopped and spoke to the
little girl.
“Hi! What’s your name? My name is Tyler. You
don’t look very happy.”
The next thing I know he’s sitting on the
bench with her and later they both were happily
playing together on the ground with the other
three children.
I never gave the matter a second thought until
we were in the car leaving. Tyler suddenly said, “I
helped the girls work through a fight. I talked to
one and it turned out that she was lying. So I took
her over to the other girls and we worked it out.”
Amazing words from a ten-year-old! And they
revealed a 180° reversal in the attitude of this kid
who had, previously, only known how to be selfabsorbed.
Tyler told the story in a matter-of-fact
manner. He wasn’t looking for commendation,
but just wanted to share the event with me.
Putting together that program to raise funds for
suffering children in Africa created within my son an
awareness of his ability to powerfully affect the lives
of other people. So he didn’t just note that the little
girl had a problem, he investigated the problem and
then implemented the solution. That’s the kind of
human being he is becoming.
My ten-year-old came up with the idea on his
own of helping one African child, and from that
point he was the leader on the project. I’ve simply
facilitated — listening to his ideas and becoming a
resource that he can use to move from idea to reality.
In so doing he made a small change in the world
but an enormous change in what he now expects
from life and what he believes he can do.
I experienced a revolution in my own thinking
while watching all this unfold, and I’ve learned a
lot about myself, as well, from my young child.
He’s helped me to see the world through his eyes.
We’re doing more than just assisting needy
children in other countries; we’re learning how to
utilize the children in this country as resources in
responding to the needs of the world.
We’re sending a message to parents and teachers,
“Stop and listen to your kids. They have great
ideas for making things different and the energy
to put the ideas into practice.”
All the children lack is adults to help them put
together frameworks within which their ideas can
grow and thrive.
ONWARD AND UPWARD
Now we’re trying to embody this child-centered
change agent idea in some kind of transportable
medium. I’m planning to open Kids Helping Kids