Changing the World One Person at a Time

My husband and I were a part of your 2009 build in Harbin, and I just wanted you guys to know that we are still a part of the Half the Sky family and have plans to continue to help you care for the children in China that still have yet to be reached by your programs.

Many do not realize that it is not just in China where lives are changed – since our Half the Sky build trip, Carl and I have made the decision to give up the relaxed life of retirement on our 4-acre river house and move 100 miles to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to become full-time Habitat for Humanity volunteers.  We showed up one day with chain saws after the tornados ripped through the city last year on April 27th (destroying over 5000 homes and killing 54 people in that one city alone) just to pitch in and ended up putting our house up for sale and moving permanently.

I can say that we can trace that improbable act back to our trip with HTS in 2009 where it was reaffirmed to me that if you’re not helping change the world one person at a time, even just a little, you’re missing the point.  After the build trip, I was forever changed.  Time’s too short not to be doing something!

Again, while I know that it’s really all about the children in China, please know that no one, including myself, can walk away from being involved with Half the Sky unchanged themselves. I wanted to let you guys know how my life was forever changed by being fortunate enough to be chosen as a member of the build that year. Once I experienced volunteering to help someone else, nothing was ever the same. Thank you for all YOU do and for allowing me to be a part of HTS and opening my eyes to how life really should be lived.