The Salt & Light Spotlight Presents: H.earts I.n M.otion
Let’s Talk Poverty
“We are Pilgrims – We are not tourists.”
Fr. Jim Prehn, Loyoal University Chicago
What is poverty?
Essentially, poverty is a state of economic hardship. And it comes in many forms.
Absolute Poverty. This is the most extreme form including sustained deficits in nutrition, clean water, health, and shelter. Death rates from preventable diseases, such as malaria and cholera are high. This form of poverty is often generational and more common in undeveloped areas of the globe.
Relative Poverty. This form of poverty is known as the standard of living. It involves the comparison and contrast of different families in the same society. A family may be considered impoverished if they cannot afford vacations, presents on holidays and birthdays, or college tuition.
Situational Poverty. This form of poverty is temporary and may be caused by natural disasters, such as tornadoes or floods, or unexpected life events, such as serious illness or job loss.
Generational or Chronic Poverty. Of the four forms, this type is more multifaceted. It involves poverty that is transmitted from one generation to the next through a variety of contributing factors. One example is a “survival style” of responding to problems or difficulties as opposed to planning ahead. Other factors may include inadequate education, mental health issues, lack of resources, and a “scarcity mindset.”
According to the Ending Poverty Together website, Compassion Canada writes,
- 1. Extreme poverty is defined as living on less than $2.15 a day
- 2. The number of global poor is estimated to have risen to 803 million in 2020, much greater than the 672 million initially expected (prior to the pandemic, the poverty rate had been in decline)
- 3. Soaring food and energy prices could push up to 71 million people into poverty
- 4. An estimated 100 million people worldwide are houseless, and one in four people live in conditions that are harmful to their health, safety, and prosperity
In honor of Poverty Awareness Month this January, we would like to shine a light on the service efforts of an outreach organization that has been serving communities in the United States and Central and South America for over thirty years, H.earts I.n M.otion.
Little Steps, Big Strides
If you have read any of my previous blog posts or listened to earlier podcast episodes, then you are familiar with my family’s experiences with Developmental Coordination Disorder, advocacy, and our journey to homeschooling, which has included years of occupational and physical therapy along the way.
Part of that journey also included the use of custom orthotics to help correct severe pronation issues, helping our son learn to walk properly. Our son wore these “superhero shoes” as we affectionately referred to them from age 3 until around age 5.
As the braces are made custom to each child’s feet, new pairs are required as the child grows. If you’re a parent reading this article, then you know all too well how quickly children can grow. We invested in quite a few pairs of these “superhero shoes” over those few short years.
While we felt incredibly blessed to be able to afford the new braces when needed (our insurance at the time did not cover the cost), we simultaneously did not want to simply discard the braces once our son had outgrown them. Surely someone could benefit from them.
For the first several pairs, our orthotist happily collected our gently used “superhero shoes.” In her free time, she often traveled to various impoverished areas in Central and South America with her church. On these missions, she and other therapy professionals offered their services for free to help those most in need.
And then, the pandemic hit. Travel ground to a halt. And with it, life-changing services and care.
By this time, our kiddo had graduated from custom braces to inserts. We packed away our last remaining pair of gently used braces in the closet and well, forgot about them.
Fast forward two years and I find myself searching for some random item that I currently can no longer remember in the abyss of my now 9-year-old son’s closet when I come across the “superhero shoes.” Reaching out to our orthotist, I was disappointed to hear that the mission trips had not resumed.
However, my disappointment did not last long.
Either I will find a way or I will make one.
Philip Sydney
I was not the only parent looking to pay forward the gift of mobility assistance. Other parents sought similar solutions. Our orthotist pointed me in the direction of the manufacturer, SureStep. Through SureStep, I was introduced to H.earts I.n M.otion.
Coming Together to Serve
A few emails later, I was in touch with the Coordinator of Therapy Services, Nancy Winiecki. Ms. Winiecki was eager to accept the donation of the much-needed braces for H.I.M.’s Rehabilitation Services Program in Guatemala.
With this revelation, an idea began to form in my homeschool mom’s brain.
What if several families in the area committed to donating their gently used orthotics and we shipped them in batches to H.I.M.’s home base in Indiana?
I talked the project over with my son and he was eager to participate.
I reached out to my orthotist and was overjoyed to learn she already had a stockpile of gently used braces in her office as a donation! While she was uncertain as to when she would be able to return to missionary work, she was happy to support us in passing them along to those in need. Even better, she vowed to continue collecting braces for future shipments from families willing to donate.
Together, our little community saw a need in the world and decided to do something about it.
Life Lessons Beyond the Classroom
Essential life skills and academic subjects aside, what better way to teach my child character education, good citizenship, poverty awareness, gratitude, empathy, and stewardship than through a service project?
It turned our “little project” into not one but FOUR separate unit studies! One for Service, one for Outreach, one for Global Poverty Awareness, and a mini-unit study on Guatemala. For more in-depth details regarding the materials, I used for each unit study, including which books I used, concepts covered, activities, lesson plans, reading lists, Pinterest boards, YouTube videos, and more, check back in with me for future blog posts.
We view YouTube as a Powerful Ally in our homeschool. While we use the streaming platform almost daily, we certainly do not forgo caution. For more information on how to safely use YouTube as a learning tool in your homeschool, check out my blog post here. For now, below is a list of YouTube playlist read-alouds we used to help us learn more about Poverty Awareness:
Paying It Forward
With the knowledge that a supply stream of “superhero shoes” would soon be on its way, my son and I sat down to map out the logistics of our outreach plan.
After a little research to determine shipping costs, our son decided to help raise money by selling some of his gently used toys and clothing to Kid to Kid. He also earned additional funds by performing chores around the house.
As children in these impoverished areas frequently do not have adequate (or any) footwear, we also included several pairs of gently used but in good condition shoes in our shipment.
Not long after this first shipment, our orthotist informed us she had already amassed another sizeable collection of donated braces! What a blessing! So, our one-time venture has now turned into an ongoing service project for our little homeschooling family.
H.earts I.n M.otion
In 1982, while traveling to Korea to pick up her adopted daughter, Karen Sheeringa-Parra met the director of an organization specializing in providing needed surgeries for children across the globe. Through this encounter, the mother of twelve children, eleven of whom are adopted from the Philippines, Korea, Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States, embarked on a journey that would change the course of her life forever.
After her first initial meeting with this first outreach organization in Korea, Karen became a volunteer. Over time, she began to understand the breadth and depth of the global crisis for children needing medical care in underdeveloped countries. Furthermore, she recognized removing young children from their families of origin can be traumatic for all involved. Thus, she decided on a different approach.
In 1990, Karen began taking medical teams to children in need in Central and South America. H.earts I.n M.otion was born. In 1993, Hearts in Motion, Inc., received 501 (c) (3) status.
For I Know the Plans I Have For You
“A person may have many ideas concering God’s plan for his life, but only the designs of his purpose will succeed in the end.”
Proverbs 19:21 The Passion Translation
Following her servant’s heart and walking in obedience to Christ, Karen exuded robust leadership skills and H.I.M. began to grow. Based in Schererville, IN, today H.I.M. has satellite locations in Louisville, KY, Mukwonago, WI, Tulsa, OK, and Gualan, Zacapa, Guatemala. The Indiana location also houses a Resale Shoppe, where patrons can donate new or gently used household, clothing, or furniture items for resale with monies earned helping to fund their numerous outreach programs in the U.S. Central, and South America. Handmade items from Guatemala are also featured in their Resale Shoppe.
H.earts I.n M.otion also serves women and family shelters, provides care and services for seniors in their community, provides walkers/wheelchairs for those in need, and collects gifts for children in need as part of its annual toy drive. Next, H.I.M. provides assistance for the following organizations: Sojourner Truth House, St. Jude House, Gary Neighborhood Services, Adoption, and Family Support Network, Mom’s Taking Charge, Calvary Community Church Food Pantry, and Carpenter’s House Church Summer Youth Camping Trip, as well as working with local police and fire departments to help in the community.
As part of its international impact, H.earts I.n M.otion hosts mission trips to various countries in Central and South America. From its Central America headquarters in Zacapa, Guatemala, H.I.M. sponsors a Nutrition Center, Reese House, a Senior Center, and three therapy centers. Mission trips include but are not limited to various service projects including surgery, general medical vision, dental, and cervical screening clinics, Helping Babies Breathe/Helping Mothers Survive seminars, construction projects, and rehabilitation services. Volunteers have the opportunity to work alongside members of the local community in service.
Additionally, there is the infrastructure-building program in Pueblo Modelo. In partnership with the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (GSLC), H.I.M. has helped rebuild Pueblo Modelo over the past twenty years following the devastating effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1999. These efforts have also produced The Good Shepherd Learning Center and the Nancy Osorio Library. Finally, H.I.M. sponsors Music in Motion, a music therapy program offering free music lessons and gifting the healing power of music to impoverished communities in Guatemala.
Among its numerous outreach efforts, the ministry recently launched its latest community assistance project, the New Directions Program. The New Directions Program helps Northwest Indiana families transitioning out of domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, or families impacted by house fires. To learn more about this amazing program, click here. To listen to founder Karen Scheeringa-Parra’s interview with NPR Lakeshore Public Radio regarding the launch of the New Directions Program click here.
Ways You Can Help
There are numerous ways to support the ministry at H.earts I.n M.otion. If you live in the Schererville, Indiana area, consider volunteering to work in the Resale Shoppe. Cull gently used items of household furniture, clothing, and household goods for donation to support the New Directions Program.
You can support H.I.M. with a click of your mouse! Purchase crucial needed items from their Wish Lists, buy H.I.M. merchandise in its online store, or offer monetary donations or sponsorship to support one of its many programs.
Want to travel and help others in the process? Consider participating in its international impact by embarking on one of its mission trips. For more information on how to become a part of their mission outreach, click here.
Want to Learn More?
H.earts I.n M.otion is a multifaceted ministry dedicated to serving others in the U.S., Central, and South America. With its vast achievements and over thirty years of experience being the hands and feet of Christ, narrowing down its astonishing accomplishments to one blog post would fail to convey the magnitude of its efforts adequately.
Our homeschool family’s project of providing gently used braces to support the Guatemalan Rehabilitation Services Ministry is merely one drop of water of support in an ocean of need. In moments of overwhelm, I can easily view my attempts as marginal at best and insufficient at worst. Yet, I was gently reminded during our family’s interview with Aaron Frazita, Mission Trip Director for H.I.M., that I, too, must remember to receive the words and grace I so often freely give to others.
Service does not have to look like the grand gestures you have seen us highlight in our Salt & Light Spotlight series. Outreach can come in many forms. The smallest gesture of kindness can carry the greatest weight.
Be sure to tune into our next podcast episodes on Wednesday, January 11th, to learn more about H.earts I.n M.otion. In these Salt & Light Spotlight episodes, we will chat with H.earts I.n M.otion Mission Trip Director Aaron Frazita.
Listen as Aaron shares his personal experience in youth ministry, missionary work, and global outreach for the past twenty years. IOH Kid J makes a special appearance with a few questions of his own. You can listen here at our website, on Podbean, or on our YouTube channel.
Want to learn more about how to ignite a passion for outreach in your homeschool? Be sure to check back in with us for future blog posts throughout January. During Poverty Awareness Month, we will examine some of the barriers that block Christians from serving, explore reasons it is important to teach about serving others, and share steps for cultivating a servant’s heart in your home.
Let’s Keep In Touch
Be sure you do not miss a blog post by signing up for my email list, liking my Facebook or Instagram pages, or subscribing to my YouTube channel.
Like what you see here? Sharing is caring!
Blessings,
Kimberly
IOH Mom
This website is not a professional counseling website and nothing here should be construed as professional counseling advice. Although Kimberly Bennett, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is not your counselor, and no counselor-client relationship is established unless she has signed an agreement with you. All information provided through this website is for informational and educational purposes only. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement. Thank you for visiting!
