I want to write about my son, Matt and what he is currently attempting to do. Be forewarned: if you continue reading, I’m going to be shamelessly proud of my son, and at the end I’m going to be equally shameless about hinting around for donations to his very worthwhile cause.
Last fall, through a mutual friend, Matt encountered an extraordinary young man, whose accomplishments fascinated him. Because Matt has the mind of a writer, and the soul of a poet, he wanted to formally interview this person, and see if he could capture the essence of what impressed him in an article for publication.
The interview subject is a man named Baker Henson. He is the director of a program called World Camp for Kids, a non-profit organization teaching HIV/AIDS awareness and education in Malawi, Africa. In the 4 years of its operation, World Camp has sent small teams of volunteers to various locations in Africa. This summer they plan to send between 40 and 60 volunteers. The organization’s outreach keeps growing, and Henson is only 24 years old! Whoever looks at our youth and worries about the future of our society needs to look at young adults like Henson, and my son.
Yep, you can probably see where this is going. After conducting an extensive interview, Matt wants to be more than a chronicler of Henson’s accomplishments. He wants to contribute his own efforts to this fight by being a volunteer this summer.
Matt is actively raising funds to accomplish this goal. He’s hit up all the family members and friends, of course. He has a gang of friends in Bozeman, Montana, where he lives, helping him run community-wide fundraisers there. I’ve sent money in, and will send more. World Camp’s fundraising model involves every volunteer lending a hand to raise the funds for the entire team to go to Malawi. Matt stresses that the directors of World Camp are also volunteers, and do not receive a salary. Every penny of a donation goes directly toward the airfare, program materials, meals for Malawian students, and food for volunteers. This is a tax-exempt, federally approved program, and your donations are tax-deductible.
What I’m asking is for people to take a look at this organization (http://www.worldcampforkids.org/) and if this sounds like the kind of operation you want to support, and if you are someone who makes contributions to worthy places every year, perhaps this could be one of those places.
If you were to make a donation to World Camp, please indicate that it is in support of Matt Plavnick. Donations should be sent to:
World Camp for Kids
367 Paul Presnell Road
Sugar Grove, NC 28679
Matt is given the names and addresses of donators so that he can personally extend his thanks. He, and his mother (me!), would be thrilled with any display of generosity toward his quest. Small gestures often have widespread ripple effects. This entry is my small gesture.
I'm so impressed with your son! I saw the Oprah special not long ago about her trip to Africa- it really opened my eyes. It's one thing to read about problems far away, another to see film footage. I checked out the site, and World Camp for Kids looks like a well organized and much needed organization. I wish Matt and his team the best!
Posted by: Michelle | 01/30/2004 at 03:08 PM