Up for the Challenge
What would you do if your parents challenged you to raise $500 for a good cause? That’s the question two California sisters faced after their family became Compassion sponsors!
Allison and Josephine’s family sponsored their first child after touring the Compassion Experience exhibit that stopped in their city. They entered the exhibit and started a slow walk through rooms that looked like the humble places where Compassion works. Through headphones they listened to the true story of a child who grew up in need and received help from a sponsor. It made Allison and Josephine wish they could become sponsors to give a child a happy ending like the one they heard.
“We were touched by how Compassion helps people,” says Allison, 11.
So the sisters were excited when their parents said they could sponsor a child at the end of the event! They chose a boy named Thierry from Rwanda. Josephine, 8, says she wanted “to help Thierry buy shoes and stuff that he needs in the future.”
Then their parents surprised them with the challenge to raise $500 for Compassion. The sisters were excited because it meant they’d be able to help even more kids living in poverty. They decided that a garage sale seemed like a good idea, but they weren’t sure they had $500 worth of stuff to sell. So they invited family friends to donate toys, games and books to the sale. They also invited neighbors to host garage sales on the same day and give the money to Compassion. Thanks to so many families coming together, Allison and Josephine raised $600! Their mom’s company pitched in money too, so their final donation ended up being $1,200.
“Don’t be scared if you feel like you can’t make a difference,” Allison says, “because little things you can do can have a big impact on other people.”
The sisters keep writing to Thierry, drawing him pictures, and praying for him.
