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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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