Aiding Children Together for A Better Life for Kids: March 2013

On March 20th, three sixth graders and Mrs. Ciok attended Student Leadership Day at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, Illinois. It was a wonderful day with messages about identity, courage, leadership, and the overall message of "It's ok to be yourself." The keynote speaker was Olivia Rusk, a teenager with alopecia. Olivia has been bald since the age of 8, but instead of hiding it, she has embraced it and used it as a forum to talk about self confidence.

On this day, students wrote poems about leadership and courage, defined their identity, visited the Courage and Miller Youth exhibits, and made zines (small self-publications of work in a variety of formats). Below are examples of the poems and zines created today, along with pictures of the amazing day!

Poem #1:

We could be leaders
By believing in ourselves
Saying what you believe in
YOU can change the world
Have a bright vision
Move people into the right direction
Have the courage and stand up
for others.
Bravery and kindness is key
Make the impossible possible
by being who you are
We could be leaders.

Poem #2:

A role model or leader
has to have courage
but that doesn't mean they're not scared

Sometimes a role model
has to do something that scares them
to lead.

Sometimes,
they have to take the initiative
even if they feel
that they will fail.

Poem #3:
If you're strong,
you are not wrong.
If you're helpful
It is not inconsequential.
If you believe,
You know it's true.
If you succeed
you know you will not rue.
If you made the right choice
You know you won't go back.
If you make the impossible possible
you know you will not lack.
Risk takers go outside of your comfort zone,
Visionaries, you are not alone.

We can all make the impossible possible!

Olivia Rusk

The sixth graders with Olivia Rusk!

We were very touched by the students who wrote the speeches for the Leap for Ghana concert. We wanted to share those speeches with you, to give you a better understanding of what ACT and A Better Life for Kids means to the students in this district.

Opening Speech:

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Juliana, of ACT and also McCracken Concert Choir. On behalf of Ms. Ciok, Ms. Blades, Ms. Nyzinski, and all the members of ACT, as well as all of our beneficiaries in Ghana, I would like to welcome you to the 2^nd annual Leap for Ghana Concert.

I’m sure most of you know that ACT is a charity organization here at McCracken, run by Ms. Ciok and supported by 8^th grade service learning work overseen by Ms. Blades. This organization is populated by students of all grades here. We are a small branch of the real orphanage in Ghana run by A Better Life for Kids, started by Ms. Shelly Nyzinski. We have been working very hard through our years here to raise money for the orphans there. Our money, every cent of it, goes directly to the children and their needs across the sea. It funds many different things, which you will hear more about later, in order to fulfill the orphans’ everyday needs such as food, water, home, medicine, as well as more advanced issues such as education. ACT continues to set goals for the future to do more with less, and do as much for the children in Ghana as is humanly possible.

Tonight, you all came to see a concert. Yes, the singing is important and wonderful, yes you came to have a good time and support your kids or friends. But the real reason you are here is much simpler. The real reason you are here tonight is because you want every child to have a good life. To have food, everyday. To have a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear, a roof over their heads. To be able to have an education, and to be happy. So yes, you came for the concert, but really, you came because you saw the chance to give some nice child out there that you’ve never met or seen, but only heard about, a good life, just because you know its right. So I want to thank all of you for donating your money and time to our performance, and to assure you that even though it seems small to you, your donation is making someone happy. It’s that simple, yet it’s really true. So thank you all for coming, and I hope you enjoy our show!

Fundraising Speech

Hi, my name is Nathaniel, and I’m an ACT member. So far this year, ACT has raised over $3,500 for the A Better Life for Kids Orphanage in Ghana through your support and a new connection with the Chicago Fire. We started off the school year with a generous donation of $636 from Ben, who sold ACT items at his synagogue and around the community for his Bar Mitzvah project.

On November 16, 2012, we had a spaghetti dinner and raffle before the musical later that evening. About 150 people came to eat pasta, garlic bread, and salad, all donated by Organic Life, and then went to see “Guys and Dolls, Jr.” The event was a huge success and raised $1,058.94 for the orphanage in Ghana. All of the food and raffle items were donated completely free, so lots of thanks to Organic Life and the local businesses that donated.

This year, we were also very fortunate to connect with Patrick Nyarko, a starting forward for the Chicago Fire. On November 18, 2012, he won the Supporter’s Player of the Year from Section 8, which is a non-profit volunteer group for the Chicago Fire. With this award came a check for $1,500 to the charity of his choice, which Patrick donated to A Better Life for Kids. Thank you so much Patrick!

On February 13, 2013, ACT and the Learning Center staff hosted the 2nd Annual Hearts for Ghana celebration, where students paid $2 to make valentines and take pictures in a photo booth. All the supplies were donated by the Learning Center staff, so thanks to Ms. Monak, Mrs. Gammeri and Mrs. Kopp for all of the pictures, paper, stickers, stamps, and markers! Together we raised $80 for the orphanage in Ghana, and everyone had lots of fun, too.

Our last large event for ACT will be the 4th Annual Change-for-Change walkathon on May 29th. We hope to see parents and community members join us for this great event. More information will follow soon.

Once again, before your generous support tonight, we have already raised over $3,500 for A Better Life for Kids-- well on our way to matching or exceeding our efforts of $6000 last year. We’d like to thank Patrick Nyarko, Organic Life, Thirty One with Rachel Lamka, Tupperware with Jennifer Guzaldo, Klein Printing, Plastic Premium Access, Grand Appliance and TV, Subway, Dengeos, and Custom Print Graphics for supporting ACT and A Better Life for Kids over the years. We’d also like to thank everyone who helped out with the Spaghetti Dinner, Hearts for Ghana, and this Leap for Ghana Concert. And most of all, we’d like to thank all of you, for being here to listen to wonderful music and support such a wonderful cause. Thank you!

Good Evening, my name is Nahrin, and I have been collecting money for Ghana since January, with my Assyrian school and my family.

The children at my Assyrian school donated a lot of money because they knew it was a good cause. I even remember that one of my friends donated $20.00! I was super happy that he donated that amount of money.

After a couple of weeks I decided to do more. I started to make friendship bracelets. I sold some, and I made money off of that.

I decided to help collect money because I wanted to do more. I felt that if the eighth graders could collect money for Ghana; I could too. I felt bad knowing how these kids were suffering, while we are getting spoiled with iPhones, smartphones and throwing away extra food that others don't have to eat. I felt guilty that I'm throwing away apples and oranges in the garbage during lunch. I see a lot of my friends throwing away food all the time. People should spend money on what they need, not what they want; there is a big difference.

I didn't collect much, but I know I made a difference, as I know now that $5 can completely support a child in Ghana for 4 days.

Thank you to everyone who helped me. Through my efforts, I made $94! Thank you again and enjoy your evening!

Closing Speech:

I was 9 when I first became acquainted with A Better Life for Kids. My sister and I wanted to do a lemonade stand and we decided donate the money to a charity. We looked hard for a good one, and then discovered Ms. Nizynski and her organisation. When we told her that we wanted to support her, she showed us pictures of the children in Ghana and told us their stories. It astonished me. I saw children whose only dream was to go to school, children who were overjoyed by one nice outing or one nice meal. Children who had serious medical issues and had no hope. I had never really seen or connected with children like that, but hearing how much they struggled made me want to. I wanted to give them hope when they had so little. They made me realize how lucky I was to live in Skokie, and to have a house, food, and an education. My sister and I continued to do fundraisers with several friends and we had the opportunity to meet with an inspiring deaf man from Ghana. His stories were remarkable.

When I came to McCracken, I was thrilled to discover that they had an organisation to support A Better Life for Kids, and I quickly joined ACT. We have all gained so much from this journey. We have been able to see Ms. Nizynski’s giving heart and she has inspired us all so much. Together as a McCracken community we have learned about charity and giving back, and it has changed us forever and made us all better people. We would like to thank Ms. Ciok and Mrs. Blades for guiding, teaching, and helping us through this journey. We would also like to thank Ms. Nizynski for showing us what it really means to be a good person. Another shout out to the administration of McCracken and District 73.5; they have given us this wonderful opportunity to give back and help others. If you would like to know anything else about ACT, please visit our blog at aidingchildrentogether.blogspot.com or a Better Life for Kids at abetterlifeforkids.org. Thank you so much for coming tonight; you have all made a difference.