President's Letter: A Conspiracy of Love!
Monday, December 09, 2013
“ Blessed is the
season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!”
At this time of year there is a wonderful spirit of giving
because the seasonal celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza engender
feelings of joy and love. At Rising Star Outreach we also feel the excitement of the
season, and because of your help we are providing for the needs of those
affected by leprosy and also the important gift
of hope.
The students on our campus recently received an early
holiday surprise when our Sponsorship Coordinator, Emily Wilson—and many of her friends, treated the Rising Star
students to a holiday party, complete with personal stockings filled with
practical items and fun treats! Kudos to
Emily and her family and friends for generously sharing their time and
resources. Our campus was filled with
gleeful sounds of cheer and expressions of gratitude.
At the end of December, Rising Star students and staff will
enjoy a holiday break to spend special time with their families. The campus
will be quiet, but not for long because our “Goals for Girls” group will enjoy
a volunteer session during the first week
of January. (BTW--Check out
our Volunteer Sessions for 2014—our
celebratory year! What a great gift to give to your family or an individual
child—the opportunity for adventure and service through volunteering at Rising
Star. One of our volunteers recently shared with me that it was the “best
experience I have ever had in my entire life.”
Sign up now!)
Our Holiday Gift
Giving Campaign begins this month and we need your help! You can help with
a single one-time gift in four simple steps. Visit our web site at www.risingstaroutreach.org and click on WISHLIST.
(On the right hand side of the page under Donate, Volunteer, and Sponsor a
Child.) Once you click WISHLIST, it
will take you to a page of gift ideas for your friends, family, co-workers,
clients, and it’s a nice way to involve children or grandchildren. You can even
make a donation in an individual’s name, which is a kind way to show you are
thinking of them and that you are mindful of the needs of others.
If you are interested in EDUCATION, donate money to purchase
books
for the Rising Star campus library—a gift that will help a child enjoy the
magical world of reading, or give the gift of a Classroom Achievement Board, which highlights the work of our
awesome students. Our goal is to get one in every classroom!
Another simple way to participate in giving is to Sponsor a Child. By sponsoring one of our students, you give the gift of education, and when you educate
a child, you begin to lift the next generation. The sponsorship is less than a
$1 a day! Get your family involved and spread the love.
MEDICAL CARE continues to be a priority at Rising Star
Outreach. Our goal is to have not only medicine, bandages, and other medical
devises available to all patients, but also a
bathing bucket, a towel, nutritional drinks, a warm blanket, clothing, and
seasonal wear such as a hat, an umbrella, or a raincoat. Protective footwear is an incredible
gift to help prevent infections, and mobility devices such as tricycles, canes, and walkers give
patients freedom of movement. Join together as colleagues or as a family to
donate toward the purchase of several AED’s
(Automated External Defibrillator), a life saving device. With your help every patient will receive proper
medical care! 
We often hear the saying, “You can give a man a fish and he eats for a day. You can teach a man to
fish, and he eats for a lifetime.” By teaching and supporting those
affected by leprosy, they become self-sufficient and their world dramatically
changes and thereby, the world changes! Begging demeans, but a simple
MICRO-BUSINESS lifts the individual and their family, which has a powerful
impact on the entire community! Consider in your gift-giving this year a $45
donation to purchase a goat, which
will provide milk, meat, and money for an individual. A donation of $160 or
only 44 cents a day, will help Rising Star purchase
sewing machines for those who would like to start a tailoring business.
What a blessing to give someone the gift of dignity—something that is more
meaningful than many tangible gifts.
My heartfelt appreciation to all who give to Rising Star
Outreach during this blessed season that “engages the world in…love.”
From all of us at
Rising Star: Warm wishes for a lovely Holiday Season!
President of Rising
Star Outreach
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