Olympia Students Raise Funds for Orphans

During a chapel program at Olympia Christian School, students were grouped into "families" with upper grades representing parents and lower grades representing children. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has orphaned many African children, so the "parents" were asked to sit down, leaving the "children" to imagine having sole responsibility for their younger siblings.

The Nhlengelo Center in South Africa provides orphans with one meal per day each weekday. The center, though, doesn't have enough funds to operate on the weekend, and children often go hungry.

The North American Division Department of Education and Hope for Humanity enlisted the help of students in Adventist elementary and high schools in North America to raise enough money to feed 300 orphans. If each young person were to donate $1.50, the initial goal of $85,000 would be met.

Students at Olympia Christian School decided they wanted to do their part. In two weeks, students raised $1,228 through a school bake sale and by asking friends and neighbors for donations. The school was one of many to participate in the fundraiser.

Featured in: July 2008

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