Welcome to our quarterly newsletter, The Good News, featuring stories of how God has been working through Kids Around The World. Enjoy!
The Good News
Kicking off the 2024 year…
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Million Meals Packed
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Playgrounds Built
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Million Kids Being Discipled
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Hope Zone Communities
GO! Serve Others!
In January, we launched our 2nd annual theme in our four-year GO! Campaign, to motivate others to join us in the many ways that the Bible calls us to GO! This year’s rally slogan, “GO! Serve Others!”, draws inspiration from Galatians 5:13. Building on last year’s initiative centered around “GO! Do Good!”, inspired by Hebrews 3:16, we are thrilled to continue our efforts of serving others alongside our teams, volunteers, and partners.
We are honored to have had the opportunity in this first quarter to partner with so many in living out the call from Galatians 5:13, which reminds us, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” This scripture serves as a guiding principle as we continue our mission to bring lifelong impact to those we serve.
JOIN US ON SECOND SATURDAYS
You’re invited to spend time serving alongside Kids Around The World through our new volunteering initiative at our Rockford, IL location: SECOND SATURDAYS! We’d be thrilled to have you join us for a morning of fun – while getting the job done! Happening every second Saturday of the month from 8 am to 12 noon, this opportunity allows volunteers to join in activities such as meal packing or playground refurbishing. Make sure to sign up in advance. We host a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 25 participants. Your involvement would mean “the world” to us!
Follow the link for further details and to sign up: SecondSaturdaySignUp
Food
From January through March we have hosted 36 food packing events for 1.624 million meals with over 6,500 volunteers. Being surrounded by big-hearted volunteers and partners who desire to serve others by packing meals is an honor that we never take for granted. We love highlighting here just a few of the ways in which you brought blessing to our 1st quarter of 2024!
GENEROSITY AND LEADERSHIP IN STAND-OUT STUDENTS
It was another successful meal packing event for both the Jr and Sr High students of Calvary Chapel Schools in Santa Ana, California sponsored by our friend and partner, Tab Johnson! They joyfully packed 84,456 meals, filling a total of 391 boxes. This effort translates into providing OneMeal for an entire school year to 391 children in Uganda and Ecuador. As they mark their third year of meal packing, we witnessed the students’ growing interest in the well-being of the children who will benefit from this food & the profound impact these meals will have on their lives. KATW is delighted to see these incredible students grow with their leadership qualities and servant’s hearts!
SERVICE KNOWS NO AGE LIMIT
Over 350 teens gathered at the 2024 District’s Youth Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to pack an impressive 75,000 meals for hungry kids, bringing loads of joy to the effort through worship, singing, and dancing! Each of the four shifts was bustling with enthusiastic students driven by a spirit of service. The palpable energy and excitement radiating from the rallied crew made it an unforgettable event for both the students and our KATW team!
BEYOND THE BOOKS: ROCKFORD CHRISTIAN STUDENTS SERVE
We were thrilled to host a group of local high school students this past quarter who were “in a class” all of their own. Their desire to lend a helping hand by serving others translated to more meals and more playgrounds ready for kids in need. It’s always encouraging to work alongside leaders in the making!
COMMITTED CORPORATE PARTNERS: OWENS CORNING
Steady partnerships with organizations that encourage their employees towards team-based service offers enrichment to everyone! Once again, employees from Owens Corning came together in the past quarter, rallying at various sites to pack over 100,000 meals! Their leadership in serving has not only nourished hundreds of thousands of hopeful children over time but has also left us feeling incredibly blessed by their partnership. Thank you, Owens Corning, for your continued efforts to make a positive impact.
Play
“THERE IS NOTHING BETTER. DO IT!”
Incredible friend and partner to KATW, Sarah Baxter, recently blazed a trail and enthusiastically pulled together a team of volunteers made up of friends, family and co-workers, to GO! Serve Others!
The team spent a rewarding time pouring into a local community of Honduras. You can catch a glimpse of them making an impact in the lives of precious kiddos and their community and see how both the team AND the children were uplifted and transformed.
Our hope is that you’ll BE INSPIRED and catch a vision to come see and experience transformation in others and for yourself!
POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP IN HONDURAS
It’s an honor to not only collaborate but also to physically work alongside our wonderful allies, Little Tikes Commercial, in bringing incredible impact and the joy of play to countless underserved communities worldwide! Together, our partnership has achieved remarkable results, most recently seen in the precious children of this community in Honduras, whose faces lit up at the sight of a vibrant, colorful play structure inviting them to endless fun! These powerful partnerships continue to enhance our ability to Serve Others in impactful ways!
IMPACT, INCLUSIVITY FOR THE VULNERABLE
During our recent work to install a playground at CURE Pediatric Hospital in Malawi, our team was found joining the bustling noise of the facility’s construction of a new surgical theater. This expansion aims to provide even more free surgical access to vulnerable children with disabilities who travel from near and far for treatment. It was a profound honor for KATW to contribute to the hospital’s goals by installing a therapy playground, offering solace and joy to those who have faced profound challenges. Bringing the “Almost Home Kids” playground from Naperville, IL, and situating it in Malawi has proven to be a fitting choice. This playground will cater to children with complex health needs, aiding in their transition back to their homes with newfound hope, while simultaneously dismantling the limitations and stigma associated with visible disabilities.
PARTNERSHIP IS EVERYTHING
This past quarter, in support from Legacy Church Albuquerque and the RINO Foundation, we teamed up with field partners Feed the Hungry Nicaragua and Feed the Hungry USA to plant new playgrounds in communities in Nicaragua. Our in-country partners have an incredible ministry, serving more than 100,000 children in over 900 feeding centers, many of which have been ignited with the joy of a playground!
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR FRIENDS IN EGYPT
In partnership with the Near East Organization as part of NOVO, we had the privilege of bringing the gift of play to the precious children at a government-funded center in Egypt, serving over 15,000 families grappling with disabilities.
In a culture where much emphasis is placed on honor and shame, the impact of sharing love and joy through the gospel and community fellowship of play cannot be overstated. Here, many families come seeking encouragement, training and expert assistance in therapy related services.
Collaborating in this endeavor was an honor. Bringing invaluable support to families in need brought countless blessings to those receiving it and those lovingly giving it.
IT’S OUR #BIGPLAY GIVEAWAY!
We are thrilled to announce an incredible opportunity! Open to all registered NP501c3* or NGOs with international locations, we’re presenting a chance to win a beautifully refurbished playground that promises to bring boundless joy and laughter to the children served by the winner! We can already envision the gleeful squeals and playful excitement that will ignite a transformative spark for any organization aiming to make a difference!
Harness the power of play in your community! Simply click the link to complete the application form: https://katw.org/bigplay/
But act quickly – time is of the essence, as the deadline for contest entries is 11:59 PM on April 15, 2024. Help us spread the word and create a ripple effect of excitement!
STORY
CONVICTED BY LOVE IN AFRICA
“We are convicted by love and a heart for the Lord and for the children that were brought to us through KIDStory.” This heartfelt sentiment, expressed by church leaders in Eswatini, carries profound significance, especially considering that children under 18 make up 60% of the country’s population.
In a concerted effort to reach and nurture the children of Eswatini, Inheritance International and Potters Wheel Church leadership joined forces with KATW to host a KIDStory workshop for local church leaders and their outreach arm, ICBC (In Community By Community). Following the workshop, these leaders returned to their rural communities and wasted no time in implementing the KIDStory method of Bible teaching they had just acquired.
In one remarkable instance, a church incorporated the Bible story into its main service, offered to both children and adults. The result was extraordinary – four adults and ten children made the decision to follow Christ on the spot! This is just one testament to the incredible work of the Holy Spirit in this African nation.
“WE ARE TIRED OF THE BLING!”
…is what we heard prior to our initial KIDStory workshop at The Hills Church in Ft Worth, Texas last July. “We want to truly disciple our kids and we see how KIDStory can do that,” came the follow-up sentiment. In February, we returned to offer a workshop made available to an ever increasing number of people desiring to see children’s ministry improved through increased engagement for deeper impact. Since July, The Hills Church dove right into using KIDStory with the 1500 kids who attend and now the leaders are saying, “We are so excited about what is happening in our groups and with the children. They are no longer passive but actively learning and kids are going home telling everyone the Bible stories. It saves us so much preparation time because of the simplicity of using KIDStory but the impact is far greater than what we experienced before. Thank you Kids Around The World!!”
We love partnering with international AND domestic ministries for life-changing impact!
GREAT GROWTH IN NICARAGUA
Witnessing God’s transformative work in Nicaragua through Story has been nothing short of inspiring!
In collaboration with Overflowing Hands and Empowered Dreamers Kids Nicaragua, over 1,250 children, 130 teachers, and 40 pastors have come together to experience the power of KIDStory at StoryClubs. These young hearts have delved into discussions about overcoming fears and embracing the teachings of scripture, drawing inspiration from the bravery of David in 1 Samuel. It’s remarkable to witness these children return to their homes and share newfound truths with their families, especially considering that many of them rarely venture far from their homes.
Across the country, other KIDStory leaders have launched StoryClubs, even incorporating special groups for parents. One gathering attracted a staggering 140 attendees eager to be impacted by the message! The harvest is abundant, and it’s evident that God is mobilizing workers to disciple future generations.
GLOBAL COMMUNITIES
SHORT TERM TRIPS – LONG TERM IMPACT
In January, we had the pleasure of traveling to our Global Communities in the Dominican Republic with 10 friends representing 5 different churches, businesses and organizations. Together, we witnessed FOOD, PLAY, STORY converging in powerful ways! The team spent their days building a playground, visiting families in their homes, and seeing God’s hand at work in the hearts of kids in their weekly StoryClub. We encouraged and challenged each other to reflect on what the Lord might be prompting us to do collectively to reach more children and families with His love.
