At WCS, we believe in empowering our Wildcats to serve those less fortunate.
A beloved annual fundraising drive to benefit impoverished children in Honduras and Haiti continued for its 26th year at WCS. During the spring semester, students from kindergarten through the senior class collected spare change in specially designed water bottles to benefit orphans in these two countries. Our third graders designed this year’s bottles for WCS students and families in this voluntary outreach.
HISTORY
Westbury Christian Middle School and High School Bible Teacher and Middle School Girls’ Basketball Coach Steve Hawley spearheaded the collection that originated in Lebanon, Tennessee, at Friendship Christian School in 1995.
Honduras has a special place in Coach Hawley’s heart. His first mission trip to Honduras occurred in July 1998, weeks before he arrived at WCS. A few months later in October, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras, and the project was introduced to the Westbury Christian family. The change receptacles evolved from used drink containers to Powerade bottles to unique bank bottles donated by a generous WCS family. For twenty years, this family supplied WCS students with bottles, which include the WCS crest, logos of the partnering charities, and James 1:27, the theme verse for the program. All 22 coin bottles are on display, tied into a mural commemorating these efforts, in Coach Hawley’s classroom.
MISSION LAZARUS HOPE FOR HAITI’S CHILDREN
The funds raised at WCS provide support to two nonprofit Christian organizations: Mission Lazarus, a holistic ministry focused on community development in Honduras through spiritual, educational, medical, and agricultural outreaches; and Hope for Haiti’s Children, which utilizes in-country educators and professionals to nurture, educate and train poverty-bound Haitian children to become spiritual leaders. As in recent years, WCS has chosen to support the Hope for Haiti’s Children school lunch program.
“The children at these schools are fed lunch every day. For some kids, this is the only meal they will get so this is incredibly vital,” says Coach Hawley. Mission Lazarus, who has provided wooden cross necklaces for our students for 15 years, earmarks the WCS contribution towards a different need annually.
This school year, the total donation was over $12,500, a school record, divided between Hope For Haiti’s Children and Mission Lazarus. The money sent to Hope for Haiti’s Children are earmarked for the lunch program. Following years past, the change was sorted and counted by WCS students.
In April, Coach Hawley attended the Hope for Haiti’s Children Houston breakfast. Third graders Miles and Zoe were selected to represent the third grade and juniors Oluwaseyi and Bella were invited to participate at the breakfast.
“What made this year extra special was alumni participation,” says Coach Hawley. “Caleb Godard ’18 spearheaded an alumni Go Fund Me page which netted $1,500 for the cause!”
Our Kindergarten class has had an impressive involvement this year. Mrs. Reynold’s shared her insight and favorite memories with the collection.
“It’s a treat and a privilege for those of us who teach our young Wildcats to model the importance of sharing God’s gifts with those who are not as blessed as we are,” says Mrs. Reynolds. “Our annual participation in helping the children in Haiti and Honduras goes hand in hand with our Lower School daily Bible and chapel curriculum. It’s an important part of who we are as Wildcats.
“For us, it’s always a thrill to see our Kindergarteners excited about their new water bottles, filled to the brim with their coins. The Kindergarteners love to carry their heavy bottles into class. They love hearing the coins jingle as they empty them into the larger water jug, and they love looking into the jug to see the wide variety of coins in it. It’s tangible, and it involves all of their senses.
“At the end of the project, the Kindergarteners get to use their knowledge of coins to sort them with the upperclassmen. Coach’s program not only brings our community together to help another community, but it also incorporates both cross-curriculum learning and our living WCS core values.”
To learn more about the benefiting organizations, visit missionlazarus.org and hopeforhaitischildren.org.
