Recently we lost a child, Diego, but it’s actually a cause for celebration. We met Diego, a very young child from El Salvador, and he became the longest member of our World Vision Family. He has now matured from a small toddler to a young man.
World Vision (WV) works best when children and families graduate. WV is not a charity but a work effort program involved in following children and families worldwide to get safe living facilities, get in school, learn a trade and become self-sufficient.
For us, it began with an explanation planted in the early 1990s at a Twila Paris concert in Baton Rouge, LA. We’ve been involved with several dozen kids and families who NEEDED and deserved a little help not a hand-out.
During a concert break Anne Marie found profiles of our first two kids. “Ana” and “Marie” blessed us as we were updated with pictures and report cards that were written by the children, translated into English by the WV staff.
Our family, the Taylors, received many notes and thank yous. Contributing families are REALLY the ones blessed by these kids and families.
Sadly, some families got lost in floods where World Vision teams get cut off from villages and must scramble with emergency moves from landslides and water. Third world roads are not priority when food and potable water is needed for survival.
What has impressed us most over the years? When disasters happen, World Vision is already there BEFORE the news crews arrive. Chilean earthquakes, Indian Ocean tsunamis, South American mudslides, etc.
Address: World Vision, P.O. Box 9716 , Federal Way, WA 98063. Call them at P: 1-888-511-6548. Visit: www.worldvision.org.
Wise Spending: Sources indicate that 85% of all monies go directly to WV efforts. Only 10% goes towards fundraising and 5% for management and general expenses. Another great cause: Visit “Smile Train” as it works hard to prompt surgical answers for individuals with cleft palates and mouth abnormalities.