|
 |
|
|
Welcome to Read to Feed®, a program of Heifer International.
What is Heifer International?Heifer International works to end world hunger and save the earth. For close to 60 years, Heifer has helped more than four million impoverished families in 128 countries lift themselves out of poverty and achieve self-reliance. The idea is simple and it works. Instead of providing hungry families with a non-renewable source of food, Heifer International provides a "living loan" of an animal. The family's health and standard of living is greatly improved by what that animal can provide. This might be milk from a cow or goat, eggs from poultry, meat from rabbits, draft power from water buffalo or wool from llamas. Key to success of the program is that Heifer provides extensive training in animal care, ecologically sound agriculture practices and community development. The result is to transform not just families, but the environment and community. Another key cornerstone of Heifer International is "passing on the gift." Families who receive an animal repay the loan by passing on one or more of the animals' offspring to other needy families. That family passes on their gift to another family and so on. So one gift multiplies through the community. Heifer International currently provides more than 27 types of animals that provide food and/or income to struggling families in 48 countries (including the U. S.) Some say that it was the children who helped Dan West, a farmer from Indiana and founder of Heifer International, come up with the idea "not a cup of milk, but a cow." That sounds right to us! What is Read to Feed and what free resources are available?
Read to Feed has many flexible, interconnected components for educators. Each component can be used alone or as part of a network of global learning activities.
These units are downloadable from this website when you order your free Leader's Packet. If you prefer, you may receive the optional curriculum as a bound booklet in your Leaders' Packet (you will be given this option when you order). How does Read to Feed work?When you order your free Leader's Packet, you will receive everything you need to introduce the children to Heifer and its mission and to implement Read to Feed: Your free packet will include: For 3rd/4th Grades
For 5th/6th Grades
As a group, children view The Promise video and read Beatrice's Goat or The Day Papa Came Home, to learn about Heifer's mission and how sustainable development methods work. Children get permission from their parent or guardian to participate in the service-learning (fundraising) portion of the program. Leader provides a suggested reading list or has children choose the books they like. (Search the books database or see "Heifer Picks!) Leader determines how she or he will integrate related learning activities, group discussions and/or the middle elementary standards-based curriculum, during the reading program. Children decide which animal gifts they would like to "purchase" through Heifer International for struggling families. Time and fundraising goals are set and the children, individually or as a group, get sponsors for the number of books, or units of time, they will read. Click here for more program ideas! Children begin reading books and participate in group discussions about hunger, world population, global food distribution, cultural diversity, sustainable development, the environment and other important issues. Visit http://www.heifer.org/ to learn more about Heifer International and its work around the world. At the chosen time, children collect the money from their sponsors, and the leader sends total donations to Heifer International, accompanied by the Donation Form included in the Leader's Packet. How does Read to Feed help children?Read to Feed encourages children to read for pleasure and understanding. It is empowering. Children discover that they have the power to change the world. In addition to a global education opportunity, Read to Feed provides the opportunity to discuss other important cornerstone issues central to sustainable development (Heifer's work) such as the importance of:
Read to Feed provides a way to help children understand and appreciate the complex web of relationships between people, actions and environment. Through Read to Feed, you can say to your children, "This is what the world can look like, and this is how we can get there. It's not too late!" We applaud your efforts to create a generation of children who are compassionate and responsible global citizens who want to change the world!
|
