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It’s time for Bridgeway Academy’s annual community service project! Once more we are partnering with Compassion International through our “Acting for Compassion” educational series, fundraiser, and Act Day. As in prior years, our National Beta Honors Club students have helped put this event together for us through their research and action.  

When living in a developing country, where millions are in poverty, there is so much that can tip the balance even further and put a child into the most desperate of situations. Even families who are being assisted through holistic development programs like Compassion International can find their lives turned upside down. In those moments, Compassions Where Most Needed Fund, comes to the rescue. 

All next week, we will be diving deeper into the various parts of this battle-ready program. There will be videos, blogs, amazing stories, and learning how you can be a Most Needed Warrior! 

Does your student still need to meet the high school Community Service hours requirement? 

Our goal is to donate over $2000 to assist where it is most needed! 

 Day 1

Imagine living in a place where attending school is a luxury, where three filling meals a day is a rarity, and where your home is a small one or two room shack. You feel resigned to the inevitable hard life like that of your parents and grandparents. But then, an organization, like Compassion International, comes in and takes the weight off with school fees, hygiene lessons, health care, personal growth programs, and job skill training, food if needed and more. There is hope! 

But a crisis happens, and all feels or is lost once more. The weight is crushing and hopelessness returns. It is dark... and then a Warrior comes marching forward and shines a bright light, removes the barriers, and hope returns stronger than ever!  

The "Where Most Needed" fund is a vital resource that enables the organization to respond flexibly to the immediate needs of children in their programs, particularly in times of crisis. This fund has been instrumental in various situations, including disaster assistance, health crisis support, emergency aid for abused children, food security, and more. 

Tomorrow, we’ll meet children and families who were rescued through this fund in times of medical emergency. 

Day 2

It was a normal week for young Alejandra. She had her morning chores, the walk to school and time there, a small moment to play before afternoon chores and homework, a small meal with her family, and then sleep. The next day, Alejandra wasn’t feeling well, and her situation, and that of her family, became dire in an instant. This is her story. 

Ricardo had already been on the road of hope as a teenager who had been with Compassion International since he was five. His family was rapidly breaking the shackles of poverty when the unexpected happened. Watch what happens. 

In both of these cases, the Where Most Needed Fund was used by their Warrior project leaders to sweep in and save the day – and their lives! 

Tomorrow, we will learn about what other reasons this fund is used for. 

Day 3

Alice was born into a severely impoverished family. Though they tried to maintain employment, the community was very unstable and jobs were few. It got so bad that they were living in a structure that no longer had a roof and double tragedy struck. But watch what happened when her sponsors and The Most Needed Fund stepped in! 

Stopping and preventing child abuse is another use of the fund, as children in developing worlds are much more likely to be the victims of a wide range of abuse. Where this alone would shatter a child, we can be Warriors who stand between them and those who would do them harm. 

And, as the global food crisis continues, this fund is helping provide not just food stables but is also stopping hunger from happening in the first place. But how? 

Isn’t it incredible what Warriors like Compassion International and those, like you, who donate can do? We have one more day of learning about this fund before our Act Day and our armor shines with hope. 

Day 4

Sometimes, it is not the child directly who Where Most Needed funds are best used. For this family, who had their children registered with Compassion, the center saw that giving a mother access to career training would save not just her family but the village around them. Let’s watch Janna’s transformation into a warrior for her community. 

Then there is Hajarah, who made one beautiful choice, and it cost her and her children everything. The Where Most Needed Warriors, and “aunties” of this village jumped into action to save this family and rebuild hope. 

Whether it be through a fire, hurricane, earthquake, or other disasters – houses can be lost, and with that hope is crushed. But those at Compassion churches wrap these families in their arms, becoming the shields against the many harms of poverty and then showing them how to break free of it. 

Tomorrow starts our Act Days! You will have all weekend to take a small step into the lives of those living in developing countries. 

Day 5

Today starts our big Act Days! These activity options will help you get a small glimpse into the life of a child in poverty. Before you start, though, we want you to check out this recap of Compassions 2024 progress. Then, if you are interested in earning Community Service hours credit for this event, you need to complete at least TWO of these options.   

Today is also where Holly, our Dual-Enrollment coordinator and long-time advisor shares about her Compassion experience. Her heart is big for the children who lost their first sponsors. These are usually teenagers who need someone to see them through to graduation from the program on their 22nd birthday.  Here are three of those teenagers, as well as the child she saw from entry to graduation. 

    Asha – From age 7 to graduation she was “my girl.” I encouraged her to work hard in school. She did, and graduated both high school and then college with a certificate in accounting. She led her mother to the Lord and taught her mom how to better manage her market stall with the goats and chickens Compassion gave them to raise on top of what her mother farmed. 

    Efua – Is my shining star. She had fallen behind during COVID but still managed to graduate high school. Not only that, but after a year of studying hard while balancing working as a seamstress, she passed her entry exam and now is in her second year studying Nutrition Science. She writes the most beautiful letters and graduates from Compassion in March 

    Oscar – There are not enough words to describe the mutual adoration going on between me and this incredible young man. While he had to drop out of school in fifth grade, due to COVID and having to work to help his family, he attends weekend classes and studies on his own. He even won an award for the best letter written at his project! Oscar has big dreams, and I pray he gets to succeed in them 

Jose – This is my little special needs teenager. He hasn’t been able to attend school in-between his low scores and a large family disruption. Currently, a tutor works with him on the weekends,  and he helps his mother out in a farm camp during the week. He works so hard, and through our letters, he says he now has hope. 

Day 6

It has been an incredible week learning how you can become the Most Needed Warriors. If you haven’t already, please donate any amount through Compassion’s Gift Catalog for the “Where Most Needed” fund or a Compassion gift of your choice that will assist in a time of desperate need 

We also had our Act Days over the weekend. I hope you learned a lot from the experience of taking a tiny step into the world of a child living in poverty.  

We are thankful to all who have donated to the fundraising side of this community service event and sent in the receipts. For those who completed their weekly journal reflections and participated in our Act Days as well, please forward those to your advisor for the full 24 hours of service to be added to your transcript. This is due by March 31st.  Considering sponsoring a child too? Go here and bask in the joy that will come from being the one making a ripple in the pond and becoming a Warrior to a child.