Looking through the newspaper this weekend, I noticed an article regarding Heifer International. I am very familiar with this organization and have heard little about them in this area. My family and I personally volunteered for Heifer International at their Learning Center in Rutland Massachusetts  – Overlook Farm for almost a year. The program offers the extraordinary opportunity for people to experience some of the challenges of global hunger and poverty – and come away with a re-energized determination to be part of the solution. This proved to be a very wonderful learning experience for me and my children, then 5 and 10 years of age. Working at the farm and learning valuable lessons about caring for animals, sustainable agriculture and helping with the Global Village is something that they will always remember. Heifer Global Village programs show participants that sometimes having a little means a lot. Whether spending one day in a village representing one of the regions in which Heifer works or participating in the more intense programs, visitors will be taken through the daily struggles that impoverished people face every day.

In living the lives of others, you’ll find that something extraordinary happens. Your attitudes about individual action, community cooperation, and sustainable solutions for global hunger, poverty and the environment will be transformed. Your understanding of the world – and your place in it – will change forever.

The mission of Heifer International is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. Since 1944, Heifer has helped 9.2 million families in more than 125 countries move toward greater self-reliance through gifts of livestock and training in environmentally sound agriculture. The impact of each initial gift is multiplied as recipients agree to “pass on the gift” by giving one or more of their animal’s offspring, or the equivalent, to another in need.

In this world in which it seems that we are always thinking of ourselves, its nice to know that we can be part of the solution to help end world hunger and poverty – Please click on the link below and visit Heifer International – see if you can help make a difference –

Heifer International-

Ending Hunger/

Caring for the Earth

Liz Miesnik