5 New Year's Resolutions You Haven't Thought Of...
Happy New Year! (Almost.) I'm guessing that a lot of you have given some thought to New Year's resolutions over the past few days. You may have mixed (or straight up negative!) feelings about the tradition of making resolutions. On the one hand, we all want to believe that the coming year could be our best yet! But then again, it's hard to believe in the concept of making resolutions when we've all tried and failed so many times before. My research (ahem, Googling) tells me that five of the most common New Year's resolutions are to lose weight, spend less/save more, learn something new, spend more time with family, and travel more. I love these resolutions! Making any one of these changes could dramatically improve your life. However... today I'd like to suggest that there are 5 resolutions you haven't even thought of that are just as good (if not better?)
1. Don't just lose weight, help a child who needs it gain or maintain a healthy weight! A donation to SCH's general fund ensures that all the children are fed. Many of our kids have monthly sponsors, and part of that sponsorship pays for nutritious meals (more on that next in our list...) But many children are not currently fully sponsored. People like you who care a whole lot about the practical needs of orphans (but may not be able to commit to monthly giving at this time) can make a huge difference through one-time donations. We are so thankful that God has continued to allow us to fill so many little bellies with good nutritious food and clean drinking water. Would you like to be a part of it? Make a one-time donation to the general fund and help us keep putting food on the table.
2. Don't just spend less money, invest your money in something that really matters! If you're like me you've been watching Christmas movies all month. One of my favorites is It's A Wonderful Life. I've watched it every year for as long as I can remember, but I noticed something this year that I didn't catch before. On the wall in George Bailey's office, he has a picture of his father with this quote written underneath: "All you can take with you is that which you've given away." In 2017, why not give away more? To those who truly need it. Become a monthly sponsor for a boy or girl at SCH. As a sponsor you'll get regular updates on your sponsor child throughout the year and every day you'll know that you're helping to provide him or her with nutritious meals, access to medical care, quality care-givers, and (perhaps best of all) a safe and loving family-style home to thrive in. Go to schindia.com/sponsor for more information and to get started!
3. Yes, definitely spend more time with your family! But why not also resolve to spend more time advocating for a child who has no family? We know that some of you out there are unable to give financially to SCH right now but desperately still want to be involved in the work of restoring boys and girls in India to families where they belong. Others of you ARE giving financially, but you want to do more! Well we want to encourage you to check out our Advocate Program. All the resources you need to host an event, raise awareness, or even just spread the word on social media have been prepared for you. All you have to do is reach out and take them! It's one of the best ways to become a part of what God's doing through SCH without spending a dime.
4. Don't stop at learning something new yourself, resolve to be a part of making sure that every child has the chance to get an education! A man named Henry Adams once said "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." We agree wholeheartedly, and we would add that the same goes for an education sponsor. Some of our kiddos attend main-stream school out in the community, others attend special schools, and still others are taught or tutored in their homes. No matter what their abilities are, we want to provide every child at SCH with everything they need in order to reach their full potential. It costs between $65-$100 a month to send a kid to school in Hyderabad, but you can become a partial sponsor for as low as $25 a month. When you give monthly to pay a child's school fees, you are giving the gift of empowerment. There is truly no way to know how much your generosity might change the world for one student.
5. We 100% support your resolution to travel more in 2017... might we suggest coming to India? We would love to have you visit SCH for a few weeks, a couple months, or even a couple years! There are different ways you can be a blessing to our kids depending on how long you're able to stay and what kinds of skills and interests you have. Short-term volunteers can do lots of things, from helping complete a service project to organizing a VBS. If you can stay longer you may be able to work with the kids- chaperoning trips to the park, assisting our teachers in an on-site school, or even working to help collect photos and stories to be shared on social media! If you want to explore coming for 2 years or more, you may be just the right person to live in-home with the children as a house parent! There are always new and different opportunities, check out the website for postings or email SCHvoldept@icmin.org for more details.
No matter what you decide to put down on your list of New Year's resolutions, I hope that you're inspired to make this year the best yet... Not just for yourself, but for others as well. I challenge you to make just one resolution, one choice, one change, that will make 2017 better for someone else. Someone vulnerable. And I hope that some of you will be moved to make that resolution for the precious boys and girls at Sarah's Covenant Homes.