HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-04-01, Page 11MAJMUNITY • Tines -Advocate, Aprir! 1, 19p8 Page 11
Fundraising underway for Children of Chernobyl program
By Kate Monk
T -A Roorttr
EXETER - It's only a few months
until summer and in Huron County,
the Children of Chernobyl program
Walking the halls. Shaun
Bender was in Saturday's
walk-a-thon to raise funds for
the Children of Chernobyl pro-
gram.
til
.`:Point tf)`
by Rev. Vernon
Dean
t 1 Exeter Pentecostal
Tabernacle
H.ave you ever
heard the statement,
"Hurting people,
hurt people"? The corollary
is that non -hurting people
can minister to others out of
their wholeness. I'm not sure
that any of us are -I00%
whole. Don't we all have
baggage, wounds, and scars
from the, past?
L'on't we all have things
that we would do differently
if given the chance? Don't
we all have a "story" to tell?
I have found it makes life a
little.easier to recognize that
some people who are just
miserableand crotchety all
the time, are operating out of
their own pain and hurt. I'm
not justifying their behavi-
our. But it does make it a lit-
tle easier to understand
where they are coming from.
When l pastored a church
in Connecticut, there was a
girl named Sandy who al-
ways arrived late to church (I
mean really late) and then
she would prance down the
aisle of the church waving
and greeting others in an ap-
parent effort to draw atten-
tion to herself. It used to bug
the tar out of me. One day
she needed a ride home, so
Ruth Ann and I obliged her.
i couldn't believe the home
she lived in. It was in a flood
zone so when it rained hard
there would be three to four
feet of water around her
house. Her parents were al-
coholics with very few kind
words for her. Her sister was
a lesbian. Her brother was
on drugs. There was not
even a shower or bathtub in
the house. Seeing where she
lived and hearing her story, I •
felt guilty for being critical
of this teenage girl who acted
out of her pain and suffering.
Her tardiness never bothered
me again. But I asked my-
self, "Why do i need to know
her story before I can have
compassion and understand-
ing?"
Jesus always looked be-
yond the pain and scars and
saw their needs through eyes
of compassion. Wouldn't it
be wonderful if we could do
the same'? Maybe
we can with
God's help. Get
-the point? • N. -
has become synonymous with sum-
mer vacations. Each year, several
area families host children who are
victims of .the Chernohyl nuclear
disaster that happened more than 10
years ago.
This year, Huron County res-
idents are taking part in the Canada -
wide goal of hosting 1,000 children
through the Canadian Relief Fund
for Chernobyl Victims in Belarus.
Area service clubs and families are
getting on board by contributing to
the fundraising campaign.
Last week. the Exeter Lions Club
donated $3.000 .to the program. C)n
Saturday, more than 30 people
raised S4,770 during a walk -a --hon
at the ,South Huron .District High
School in Exeter. •
• The purpose of the relief fund is
to provide medical relief to the vic-
tims of the 1986 nuclear disaster in
Chernohyl.
The Republic of Belarus received
over 70 per cent of the radioactive
fallout due to wind and weather pat-
terns of that day andthe week that
followed. More than 40 per cent of
its territory has been contaminated.
According to information from the
relief fund, 800.000 children live in
the affected areas and are the most
vulnerable sector of the population.
The fund is a non-profit, non-
governmental, charitable organiza-
tion with membership in seven
provinces. It supports four distinct
programs.
The Children and Orphan's Pro-
gram brings children from the .con -
laminated areas of Belarus to Can-
ada. to provide a healthy respite
from their dangerously.contaminat-
ed environment. Clean air, pure
water and uncontaminated food re-
sults in a substantial improvement
in the children.
.While in Canada, many of the
children receive dental and medical
care not available to them in Belar-
us.
Through the Doctor's. Program.
medical doctors -from Belarus me
to Canada to observe Canadian
medical techniques and practices
The visitors are placed primarily in
research -oriented facilities and spa-
cialize in illnesses related to radia-
tion exposure. The host Canadian •
medical facilities provide training
for free and accommodation costs
are minimized.
Hospitals and clinics in Belarus-
are -barely functional. They arc
poorly equipped and medical sup-.
plies are either unavailable or in:
adequate. The Medical Equipment
and Supplies Program directs the
necessary resources to specific fa-
cilities and supervises . the dis-
tribution of these resources to mini-
mize the chances . of
misappropriation._ Although an ex-
pensive program to operate.. the
benefits are •visible and assistance
is efficient and direct. .
Project Internet links Canadian
The Exeter Uons Club donated $3,000 to the fund last week.
Martene accepts the cheque from club president Paul Anstett.
families with Belarussian families
to reach out to the people. of Belar-
us. Communication is routed to and
from the families via e-mail, trans-
lated at a central point in Belarus
into the appropriate language .and
then forwarded, either by mail or e-
mail. to the destination family. The
costs of this program are borne by
the Canadian host families through
a membership fee paid to the pro-
ject.
The Canadian Relief Fund for
Chernohyl Victims, in Belarus
ceives no government -funding. It is
a non-profit organization and issues -
official receipts for income tax pur-
poses.
Funds are spent arranging visits
for the Belarussian children and
medical professionals with the larg-
est portion . going towards trans-
portation costs, medical equipment
and supplies. •
The fund's membership fund -
raises to - cover , the transportation
and insurance costs•for the children.
and their chaperones.` However.
Diane Waun (left) and
Leesa
once. in Canada. the host families
hear the entire cost. .
. The fund does not disburse any
funds to .the host families. The ef-
ficient sponsoring. system reduces
the financial burden upon the fund
- and maximizes the number of pro-
gram participants. •
To find out more about the pro-
gram. write to the Huron County
Group. P.O. Box 64. Exeter. NOM
1 S6 or call the Huron chairperson
Lcesa Marlene at 228-6861 or sec-
retary Diane Waun at 235-1902.
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