Recently in the Triad area of NC a private school adopted an elementary school in something of a two part assist. By adopt, we mean that the private school’s students took it upon themselves to help solve some challenges the elementary school was having, volunteering their time and resources.
The one big bullet point to mention on that is that they were able to secure 900 books for the elementary school’s summer reading program, which is a huge benefit for those students to have such a variety to draw inspiration from.
The private school high school students also got involved more directly in something akin to a “big brother/sister” program to mentor and guide the younger students. Acting as breakfast and lunch buddies, they’d give the younger students someone to look up to and hang with during meals, reviewing their class work and helping to organize studies and provide mentoring.
This goes hand in hand with Business Voices’ new strive to follow the Kindness Club’s example on some other activities.
The Kindness Club is an entirely word-of-mouth movement where kids make cards for sick children and adults. In other cases they visit and read books to them to lift spirits and remind others in need that they’re not alone, that someone else out there is rooting for them.
They’ve found that it’s effective for unifying students and reducing bullying, focusing everyone’s efforts on how they can help others and off of the differences between them that normally lead to the negatives.
One example Glen shared of where this program had a profound effect is where a gentleman had fallen into a coma. When we awoke doctors weren’t certain he’d walk again, and he began to lose hope. Over time, as his will to keep pushing was fading, he received a card from a little girl saying she believed in him and was with him in spirit.
The man said later that the idea that a stranger believed in him and took the time to send a card made all the difference. Suddenly he felt renewed in purpose, like he didn’t want to let her down, and it drove him to learn to walk again. When he eventually recovered and left the hospital he visited her school to thank her in person for, in his words, saving his life.
Business Voices is excited to create more of these stories to show kids they can change lives as well.