Wealth isn’t always measured in dollar signs.

We each have time, talent and creativity, all of which can be powerful forces for positive change. Share your blessings in whatever form they come and to whatever level you have been blessed. – Jon M Huntsman, Sr

WE BELIEVE in generational change through children: that by restoring a child’s identity, we can make a positive difference both in how that child engages the world and in their posterity.

You’ve heard of a downward spiral… but what about a spiral that moves upward? What do you call that? A tornado? At The Children’s Home, we have a volunteering tornado.

We know that restoring a child’s identity allows them to see their own value and be a blessing to others. There are multiple aspects to this process, but one component we’ve found to work beautifully is having our kids do things for others through community service projects. If you take a child who’s identity is in the process of being restored (or, let’s face it, any human being), and you put them in a place where their efforts bless others, it further builds their identity, opens their eyes more to their own value and leads them to be a blessing to others… which starts the whole cycle over again.

What a fantastic tornado!

We’ve made volunteering part of our culture: several of our cottages did service projects in conjunction with their Spring Break vacations, one home takes donuts to the VA regularly while another helps feed the homeless, we do community service together as a campus each summer and our family teachers and staff model giving back throughout the year.

In April, our kids wanted to be involved with the Autism walk. The Children’s Home Volunteer Coordinator, Arnie Padilla, found out that Ambucs was doing a lot for the race and asked if our kids could help out. Then he sent an email to all the homes and in one day had 28 volunteers who wanted to help out. Our kids showed up at 8 am on a Saturday with smiles on, ready to work.

Right away the Ambucs guys got them plugged in. Our kids helped vendors unload and set up their booths, blew up balloons and helped run the game booths.

Brian Fleming, Amarillo Ambucs President, said he wasn’t sure what to expect, but he clearly got more than he bargained for.

We were all impressed with those kids… they were blowing up balloons, doing this, doing that. They worked and worked and worked… I was bragging on them to Arnie when two came up and said, “We’re done. What can we do next?” That was really impressive to me. It told me that you all have great people there… We will be glad to accept help from your kids any time! – Brian Fleming