The CHILDREN HELPING CHILDREN (CHC) initiative was established in 2001 to disseminate information to schools and educational institutions throughout the United States and other established countries. We seek to assist impoverished children around the world through the generosity of contributors, primarily children sponsoring other children.
Our primary purpose is to enhance human dignity and raise the physical and educational standards of living for all children to achieve health, happiness and a meaningful existence here on earth.
Our secondary purpose is to break the barriers of prejudice and to build a tolerant and compassionate network intrinsically established in future generations, the new leaders of this world, our children today.
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A message from Susan Randlett, MSW,
Founder, Children Helping Children Initiative:

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Photo courtesy of Jennifer Carson

Several years ago I decided to sponsor Luis, who lives in Columbia. His father works hard as a street vendor to bring in a meager $80 a month to support his wife and three children. Luis and his family are more fortunate than most. They live in a modest four room home protected by a corrugated metal roof with access to cooking facilities and a source of water, a barrel placed outside their home.

My contribution helps provide educational materials as well as food, clothing and other basic needs for this family. There have also been opportunities to assist his village through a variety of community projects.

I was very aware of the great need of children throughout the world. I was helping just one child, just one family. But I reminded myself of the story of a beach strewn with starfish. A little girl was picking them up and throwing them back in the ocean. "Little girl," a passer-by said, "what are you doing?" "I'm saving the starfish," she replied. "But there are so many! Your efforts can't possibly make a difference." As she picked up another starfish and cast it into the sea, the little girl said, "It makes a difference to that one." So I thought this was enough and if other people chose one child, together we could make a difference.

During the summer of 2000, I participated in a silent retreat in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. I had never attended anything like this before and it was an incredible experience, spending the entire week in silent prayer and meditation. During this time, I would often reflect on how very blessed I was to have this opportunity. Many times throughout the week, my thoughts would wander to Luis and the children like him throughout the world. When I was showering, I would recall that his village had just one simple community pump. When I was eating, I would remember the multitude of children starving around the world. I felt totally overwhelmed at times and full of sorrow for these children. So I put out my prayer, "What else can I do?" I have devoted much of my personal and professional life to helping children but it was no longer enough, I needed to do something more.

Throughout the days, while maintaining my silence, I walked through a park and observed children at play. I witnessed over and over again the innate compassion very small children have towards each other, even to complete strangers. One day a baby was crying as his mother continued to push his stroller along, immune to his tears. A small boy about three years old broke away from his grandfather's grasp and walked over to this distressed infant. He caressed the baby's cheek, speaking to him in soothing tones and provided him some comfort when his own mother could not.

It was in that moment that I realized that the answer to my prayer lies within our children, but it still was not clear to me how.

During the week through a series of dreams, meditations and a revelation in the chapel, the idea of Children Helping Children (CHC) was born. It is a very simple concept that could reach hundreds of thousands of children around the world. And it would not just nourish the bodies of starving children; it has the capacity to feed the souls of both the donors and the recipients. Please click on HOW IT WORKS to see learn more about the Children Helping Children initiative and see how you can make a difference.

I would like to thank the following people. Without your help and support, this initiative would not be possible.

Val Blachly, Deb Cantrell, Dave Cummings, Kim Fillmore, Sean Patrick Lonergan, Lorna McConnell, Lisa MacLean, Linda Messer, Jim and Teresa Speigel and Carnevale Design.

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