Easter? In January?

Tomorrow we’re supposed to get 1-4” of snow here in Kansas City…although the less optimistic have it at 4-7”. Either way, it’s cold!

This is not exactly the type of weather that brings to mind balmy spring days, sunny picnics and bright Easter dresses. So you might be a bit surprised when you receive a letter in a few days from Jim Cook, our CEO, asking you to help us provide Easter presents for our sponsored children. But the fact is, an effort as massive as providing gifts for over 320,000 children takes a lot of time, so we start really early.

We won’t be handing out chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks. Instead, we’ve had our field personnel work with the children’s parents to determine the things they need most. In most cases, those turn out to be shoes, uniforms or school supplies. Not exactly something you’d find in most Easter baskets, but these are things that can make the difference between a child being able to stay in school or having to stay home because he or she doesn’t have the required materials or clothing.

In the next few weeks you’ll hear us talk a lot more about Easter on our website. In fact, right now it’s featured front and center on our homepage. Please take a minute to check it out…and if you can help us out with a contribution toward the expense of providing these gifts, of course we’ll appreciate it. But more than that, you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you made a real difference in some of the world’s most promising young lives.

Photo: Noreimis, from Barranquilla, Colombia, is all smiles over her new Easter shoes!

Photo by Patricia Calderón