Faith Groups

Age:

• 12-18
  

Philanthropy is:

• Giving, serving and private citizen action intended for the common good.

Purpose:

• Participants will be able to recognize the effects of poverty, and work together to determine ways that individuals or the group can respond to the issue.

Objectives:

The young person will:

• appreciate how much they have to give (time, talent and treasure) to address problems caused by poverty in their local community, state, nation or the world.
• understand the importance of giving back to the world.
  

Religious Activity Theme:

Psalms 37:21
“A Righteous person deals graciously and gives.

1 Corinthians 12:4-9 (New International Version)

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit...

Participants will learn that they have much to give, how much they are needed and how to connect their interests and resources to address local or global causes.

Activity Steps:

Note to Facilitator: This is an activity where the “right to pass” is especially important. Keep in mind that there may be participants in the group who are hungry at times or are experiencing some of the other hardships identified on the survey. You will want to be careful to guard against embarrassment and be especially sensitive should someone choose to share a personal hardship.

• Explain to the participants that they are going to take a look at ways each of them can give back to the world. Explain that it may be hard to determine what they have to give to the world, so they are going to complete a survey to help them discover the resources they have that they may not realize, and look at their ability to make a difference in the world.
• Distribute the “How Much Do I Have to Give?” surveys and pencils (scroll to end of page to view).
• Explain that this activity has no right or wrong answers and will not be collected. It is really a self-graded survey. Before reading the survey each participant will give themselves the grade they think they deserve using the following scale:
  1. Give yourself an A if you think you have a lot to give to the world;
  2. Give yourself a C if you think you have a little you could give to the world;
  3. Give yourself an F if you think you don’t have very much at all to give to the world.
• Ask the youth to complete the attached surveys. Allow ample time for discussion and reaction from the participants. What surprised them? Do they think youth in other areas in their community, state, nation or the world could respond in the same way?
• Post some of the survey facts on chart paper around the room. The charts can be labeled with the headings: Hunger, Shelter, Clothing, Health, and Education. Ask the participants to stand by the fact/topic that interests them.
• If there is only one participant who selects a particular topic, give them the option of joining another group or working alone. Each group should select a writer and a reporter. Instruct each group to develop a list of ideas of things they could do to address the situation.
• Share the example that over 800 million people in the world have only one set of clothing to wear. Tell them that one way to respond might be to donate clothes to a national or international relief organization, or a local shelter. Remind them that we are listing ways they could make a difference by sharing their individual time, talent or treasures to help solve real problems. Emphasize how very special and important their individual, family and group gifts of time, talent and/or treasure really are. The recorder will write the groups’ ideas on the chart paper.
• Give the teams 10 to 15 minutes to develop the lists. Ask the reporter for each team to share their lists with the total group. Ask the participants to share other ideas to add to the lists. Add these ideas.
• Ask the youth to give themselves another grade using the same scale as before. Ask for a show of hands of the participants who gave the same grade as before. Ask the participants who gave themselves a higher grade to raise their hands. Ask participants who gave themselves a lower grade to raise their hands. Let the participants explain why they kept their grade, raised or lowered it.
  

Processing Questions:

1. What did you learn from this activity about sharing and caring?
2. What is the one idea that you had today that would make a difference in the world?
   

Supplemental Activity:

Ask the participants if there is one project/activity that they would like to do with the faith community, group, friends or family members. Work with the participants on their ideas and how they might implement them. Complete a project using one of the ideas.

Activity Source:

Adapted from Community Partnerships with Youth Inc.
The Word for Me Is Philanthropy

Additional Resources:

Global Issues
Learning to Give Lesson (Grades 3-5) “Helping Countries in Turmoil”
Unit “Nonprofits Are Necessary”

Treasure Contributions
Learning to Give Lesson(Grades K-2) “Spend, Save or Donate”
Unit “You Can Bank on Me”

International Organizations
Learning to Give Lesson (Grades 6-8) “Community by Community”
Unit “Global Philanthropy – The United Way”

World Hunger
Learning to Give Lesson (Grades K-2) “World Hunger”
Unit “Helping Others Feed Themselves”

The History of Philanthropy
Community Partnerships with Youth Inc. (12-18) “Developing Habits of Giving and Serving”
Youth as Philanthropist Curriculum

Developing Habits of Giving and Serving
Community Partnerships with Youth Inc. (12-18) “Values Questioning”
Youth as Philanthropists Curriculum

Taking Philanthropic Action
Community Partnerships with Youth Inc. (7-11) “Philanthropic Team Power”
The Word for Me is Philanthropy Curriculum

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

 

 

How Much Do I Have To Give?

1. Over 700 million people in the world are now judged by the United Nations to be hungry or starving. Do you have enough food to eat?

Yes______ No______

When was the last time you really felt hungry for longer than eight hours, without being able to eat something?

2. Over 500 million people in the world (more than all the people in the United States) do not have a permanent weatherproof shelter to live in. Do you have a permanent home in which to live?

Yes______ No______

How many rooms are in your house or apartment?______

3. Only 1 person out of every 7,000 in the world has a TV to watch. Do you have a TV to entertain you?

Yes______ No______

How many TVs do you have in your home? ______

4. Over 800 million people in the world have only one set of clothes to wear. Many more than that do not have shoes, or coat, or underwear. Do you have enough different kinds of clothes to wear?

Yes______ No______

How many pair of shoes do you own?______

5. Over 700 million people in the world die every year because they have no doctor or medicine. When you get sick, is there a doctor and medicine to help you get well?

Yes______ No______

6. Only 1 out of very 8,000 people in the world has a refrigerator and stove in the home. Is there a refrigerator and stove in your home?

Yes______ No______

Is there a microwave?______a dryer?______a toaster______a garbage disposal?______

7. Over 450 million people in the world do not own a radio, a cassette recorder, or CD player. Do you have a radio or stereo system in your home?

Yes______ No______ How Many?______

8. Only 1 out of every 750 children in the world has the chance to learn to read, write and do arithmetic. Do you have a chance to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic?

Yes______ No______

How many books do you have in your house?______

How many books have you read this year?______

9. Only 1 out of 760 million people in this world has hot and cold running water and a private indoor bathroom in the home. Do you have these things?

Yes______ No______

How many bathrooms do you have in your house?______

How many hot baths or showers do you take per week?______

Philanthropy Theme Framework :

Strand Standard Benchmark PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 01. Define Philanthropy MS 1. Define philanthropy as individuals and organizations providing their time, talent, and/or treasures intended for the common good throughout history and around the world. Give examples. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 01. Define Philanthropy HS 1. Define philanthropy to include giving and sharing; volunteering; and private individual action intended for the common good. Explain how a volunteer group can act for the common good. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 01. Define Philanthropy MS 4. Give examples of how Americans helped others. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS01. Self, citizenship, and society MS 4. Describe the characteristics of someone who helps the community. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS01. Self, citizenship, and society HS 4. Describe and give examples of characteristics of good citizens in a democracy.