Give Kids The World-Finding Joy in A World of Suffering
I Co-oped during the spring semester of my Sophomore year at the University of Cincinnati. I ended the year with a humbling trip to Give Kids the World in Florida. Something which haunted me during my Co-op was that I was becoming increasingly selfish. As I received each paycheck from the “real world”, I found myself living more and more for the things I could purchase with it. This was my first exposure to working full-time and to the money it brings.
I do not think of myself as a particularly selfish person, but I remember the feelings I sometimes had late at night during my first Co-op. The work was incredible and so were the people I worked with. I, however, did not feel incredible. I was miserable at times and found myself crying at the seeming vacancy of the world around me. I thought, if work was the only thing ahead of me in my life, what was the point? Making money through meaningful work gave me a sense of pride, but there were several dimensions missing. In particular, I felt lonely. I was not around people my age frequently. Secondly, I felt empty. I did not believe I was serving those who needed it most. I felt like I didn’t have the time to bother.
I did the reading for the trip, and struggled with the core concept of this experience: to understand and appraise the role of wish organizations in the world. My initial feeling was of skepticism. I said in discussion that wish organizations exist for the people who do the helping. Through my opinion, I reflected a cynicism I held about the adult world. I thought that everyone felt as empty and alone as me and tried to escape it through making the world seem like a better place. Seeing a child with cancer smile for a moment seemed to me like an escape for the volunteers, not the kids.
I wanted to believe. I knew at this point that service organizations do exist in part for those who serve. My experiences in Appalachia last year had shown me the power of a tight-knit service community. I was not ready to make the jump, however, that a fairy land called Give Kids the World existed solely for the children. I thought that it was as much a fantasyland for the adults working there as for the children in attendance.
I read about Henri Landwirth, the Holocaust survivor who founded Give Kids the World. He had once considered murdering a young man in Germany for being associate with the Nazis, the group responsible for much of his childhood suffering. He had nearly made a wretched decision, but backed away from it. After struggling for years with pain and anger, he ended up founding a children’s paradise. Something didn’t click. The funding for the park even came from Corporate donors, and yet it avoided becoming an elaborate advertising stunt as I would have expected. For while my experiences in corporate life were positive, I could not believe that the general corporate landscape was capable of such selfless actions.
As I flew down to Florida, I was caught in a kind of malaise. I expected to see a run-down series of mushroom-shaped buildings, which had but the mere façade of charity. Then I arrived at Give Kids the World.
The first thing that caught my eye was the remarkable good shape the facility was in. I also noticed, as per my readings, that there were few, if any, corporate advertisements to be found. The living arrangements for the guest families were luxurious and were being continually improved. We signed in, and I noticed a white-erase board with numbers on it. These were the number of volunteers still needed for individual days throughout the month. Some numbers went into the thirties. I looked around at my service group of approximately ten and realized that we made a dent in that number. We actually were needed, against my expectations.
I met volunteers and families from all across the country during my tenure at Give Kids the World. There were families from Canada (who I failed to make small talk with regarding moose), Utah, Wisconsin, and England. I can hardly remember all of the locations these families came from, but they came with the highest regards for those who worked there. When I taught a young girl how to play a pop song on plastic cups, her parents were related. As the girl skipped away, I discovered that she had recently received a dose of chemotherapy.
Somehow, a wretch like me was giving happy moments to children around me. I suppose I had forgotten the levity childhood can bring in the face of dire circumstances. A child giggled with glee as he rode a horse for the first time. He had no limbs.
This was not all about my own experiences, however. There was breadth to the group that came with me to Florida. One of us had actually had a friend go through the Give Kids the World program. I am lucky enough to have not had someone I need the services of a wish organization. While the work they do does bring joy to children’s lives, children are meant to have a healthy childhood.
I was a citizen of this volunteer community with my own baggage. I saw several people cry during this trip, and that helped me reaffirm that I am not the only person with problems. Everyone, despite their limitations, were either allowing themselves to enjoy their stay at Give Kids the World, or leasing their souls to the benefit of others.
I suppose that in retrospect I underestimated the effect time can have on people. For a lot of these kids, time will take them away before they experience much of the world. A few minutes, however, of devoted attention to someone actually can help them. What if everyone is lonely and desperate like I can be sometimes? I know that if someone takes the time to have a genuine interest in me, it can be extremely powerful. What if doing that for someone else can help make the world a little less scary because you know of your own power?
I did my time at Give Kids the World, and eventually returned. I became very sick during the month following my return, and I had plenty of time in my bed to meditate on how many of the children I served must feel, without their eventual recovery assured to them. While I was sick, I thought about everything I was missing out on. I missed being with my friends, and having the freedom to go out whenever I wanted without fear of limitation. While I recovered, I tried to think about how I was able to empathize with the kids down in Florida. And then I realized, I couldn’t.
My own suffering and difficulties do not allow me to say “I know how you feel”. This is not only due to the difference in severity but also the difference in life experiences. Words are cheap, and to say that you “know how you feel” is not enough. Despite being sick after returning from Florida, I have no idea how these kids must feel on a daily basis. I only know that I felt good while helping these kids, and the loneliness I felt while in Florida went away.
I maintain part of my belief in the nature of wish organizations and charities. I think they do exist, in part, for the benefit of those on the giving end. To add a very important asterisk, however, I would note that it is the knowledge that concentrated goodwill can make a difference is what causes us to feel better when we give. It is a terrifying realization, to know that we can help. It makes us important and significant. It gives us power, which is an all too rare feeling in a world of billions. The desperation and longing we all feel shows through our service, and I think that besides donations and kind words, concentrated time can empower others to fight against the darkness that often envelops existence.
I do not think of myself as a particularly selfish person, but I remember the feelings I sometimes had late at night during my first Co-op. The work was incredible and so were the people I worked with. I, however, did not feel incredible. I was miserable at times and found myself crying at the seeming vacancy of the world around me. I thought, if work was the only thing ahead of me in my life, what was the point? Making money through meaningful work gave me a sense of pride, but there were several dimensions missing. In particular, I felt lonely. I was not around people my age frequently. Secondly, I felt empty. I did not believe I was serving those who needed it most. I felt like I didn’t have the time to bother.
I did the reading for the trip, and struggled with the core concept of this experience: to understand and appraise the role of wish organizations in the world. My initial feeling was of skepticism. I said in discussion that wish organizations exist for the people who do the helping. Through my opinion, I reflected a cynicism I held about the adult world. I thought that everyone felt as empty and alone as me and tried to escape it through making the world seem like a better place. Seeing a child with cancer smile for a moment seemed to me like an escape for the volunteers, not the kids.
I wanted to believe. I knew at this point that service organizations do exist in part for those who serve. My experiences in Appalachia last year had shown me the power of a tight-knit service community. I was not ready to make the jump, however, that a fairy land called Give Kids the World existed solely for the children. I thought that it was as much a fantasyland for the adults working there as for the children in attendance.
I read about Henri Landwirth, the Holocaust survivor who founded Give Kids the World. He had once considered murdering a young man in Germany for being associate with the Nazis, the group responsible for much of his childhood suffering. He had nearly made a wretched decision, but backed away from it. After struggling for years with pain and anger, he ended up founding a children’s paradise. Something didn’t click. The funding for the park even came from Corporate donors, and yet it avoided becoming an elaborate advertising stunt as I would have expected. For while my experiences in corporate life were positive, I could not believe that the general corporate landscape was capable of such selfless actions.
As I flew down to Florida, I was caught in a kind of malaise. I expected to see a run-down series of mushroom-shaped buildings, which had but the mere façade of charity. Then I arrived at Give Kids the World.
The first thing that caught my eye was the remarkable good shape the facility was in. I also noticed, as per my readings, that there were few, if any, corporate advertisements to be found. The living arrangements for the guest families were luxurious and were being continually improved. We signed in, and I noticed a white-erase board with numbers on it. These were the number of volunteers still needed for individual days throughout the month. Some numbers went into the thirties. I looked around at my service group of approximately ten and realized that we made a dent in that number. We actually were needed, against my expectations.
I met volunteers and families from all across the country during my tenure at Give Kids the World. There were families from Canada (who I failed to make small talk with regarding moose), Utah, Wisconsin, and England. I can hardly remember all of the locations these families came from, but they came with the highest regards for those who worked there. When I taught a young girl how to play a pop song on plastic cups, her parents were related. As the girl skipped away, I discovered that she had recently received a dose of chemotherapy.
Somehow, a wretch like me was giving happy moments to children around me. I suppose I had forgotten the levity childhood can bring in the face of dire circumstances. A child giggled with glee as he rode a horse for the first time. He had no limbs.
This was not all about my own experiences, however. There was breadth to the group that came with me to Florida. One of us had actually had a friend go through the Give Kids the World program. I am lucky enough to have not had someone I need the services of a wish organization. While the work they do does bring joy to children’s lives, children are meant to have a healthy childhood.
I was a citizen of this volunteer community with my own baggage. I saw several people cry during this trip, and that helped me reaffirm that I am not the only person with problems. Everyone, despite their limitations, were either allowing themselves to enjoy their stay at Give Kids the World, or leasing their souls to the benefit of others.
I suppose that in retrospect I underestimated the effect time can have on people. For a lot of these kids, time will take them away before they experience much of the world. A few minutes, however, of devoted attention to someone actually can help them. What if everyone is lonely and desperate like I can be sometimes? I know that if someone takes the time to have a genuine interest in me, it can be extremely powerful. What if doing that for someone else can help make the world a little less scary because you know of your own power?
I did my time at Give Kids the World, and eventually returned. I became very sick during the month following my return, and I had plenty of time in my bed to meditate on how many of the children I served must feel, without their eventual recovery assured to them. While I was sick, I thought about everything I was missing out on. I missed being with my friends, and having the freedom to go out whenever I wanted without fear of limitation. While I recovered, I tried to think about how I was able to empathize with the kids down in Florida. And then I realized, I couldn’t.
My own suffering and difficulties do not allow me to say “I know how you feel”. This is not only due to the difference in severity but also the difference in life experiences. Words are cheap, and to say that you “know how you feel” is not enough. Despite being sick after returning from Florida, I have no idea how these kids must feel on a daily basis. I only know that I felt good while helping these kids, and the loneliness I felt while in Florida went away.
I maintain part of my belief in the nature of wish organizations and charities. I think they do exist, in part, for the benefit of those on the giving end. To add a very important asterisk, however, I would note that it is the knowledge that concentrated goodwill can make a difference is what causes us to feel better when we give. It is a terrifying realization, to know that we can help. It makes us important and significant. It gives us power, which is an all too rare feeling in a world of billions. The desperation and longing we all feel shows through our service, and I think that besides donations and kind words, concentrated time can empower others to fight against the darkness that often envelops existence.