by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: October 04, 2008

We all like to think that we are capable of saving money for a rainy day, though have you ever thought about how all those pennies, nickels or dimes can create a situation of hope in the world. There are literally millions of us that drop our loose change into bottles because we don't want to carry it around. Have you ever considered those to whom that loose change may mean the difference between feeding a hungry baby, or affording a pen so that a child can attend school?

All over the world, the appalling state of humanity flashes past us on television screens, and we flip channels, preferring to see advertisements for the latest flat screen Television, whereas the reality is that if every penny thrown into a bottle was to add up and be sent in the right direction, there may be villages that don't have to drink dirty water. Children who are innocent youngsters born into countries where their families have little chance of offering them food will die of starvation. Certainly people who lost everything they possess because of climatic changes will certainly not be flipping to another channel when they don't even have the luxury of a home to sit in to watch tv.

Often we forget what a difference we can make as little people, though little people can give hope to those with nothing so easily. Let those pennies build up in jars and bottles, and at least at the end of every year, look into your heart as a family and choose somewhere that money could go to give another human being hope. It's all too easy to dismiss charity and to say that much of the money donated goes to administration, though there are charities where you are put in contact with those you help.

There are many ways of turning loose change into hope and one of the best is through World Vision, where you can choose a child to sponsor. Look at the stories on the page and realize that these children were born as victims to circumstances. Many are born with disease and have no means to pay for vital medicines we take for granted. Many come from backgrounds we can only imagine. When I began to sponsor Mioli, I had no idea of impact that child's life would have upon my own, though it made me a richer person, because I remembered that hope isn't just about you. It's about the lives that you touch. Through my pennies, she has an education. Through my pennies, she has a chance of getting through her younger years in more comfort than other children of her age and circumstance, and that's hope worth hanging on

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