“First, we are challenged to rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. I am blessed to have two homes. One is in the northwest corner of Arkansas and the other on the western edge of Kenya. I draw so much strength from both communities and am constantly reminded of how amazing they are.
Being raised in Northwest Arkansas was truly a gift, this has become so clear to me as an adult. The core goodness of this community is why I moved back—I love the people that live here because everyone supports each other. Members of this community take pride in supporting local businesses and organizations. This is something that was ingrained in me as a child by my parents and now I see more and more everyday how essential this really is. We all strive to support each other and in turn we are supported. The beauty of it is that everyone seems to really enjoy this mutual support and cooperation.
I see it everyday in our NWA donors, who for the most part have provided what we need to build and sustain a home for 16 children in Kenya. That is pretty incredible. An entire community of people supporting another community year after year. Extending that care and support to others within our global community and loving every minute of it! It is wonderful—the local businesses that donate goods to us every year, the volunteer base that just grows and grows—people are constantly reaching out to me and saying, “what can I do to help?” This genuine care and joy in giving maybe isn’t unique to this community, but it sure makes me proud to call it home.
A sense of community and cooperation can be really powerful. A group of people working together for the same purpose can accomplish so much! A perfect example of this came this week from my 2nd home of Sirembe, Kenya. A group of concerned citizens from this community formed the Sirembe Community Water & Sanitation Project. They have stayed focused and worked hard to realize their goal of clean water piped throughout their community! On my last trip I saw villagers in their respective areas pitching in and digging the trenches for the pipes. Then just a few days ago I received an email saying that our area is finished and we have water! That is awesome.
Community is defined by a group of people living together in one place. We have our local communities and we have our global community. Supporting our neighbors next door or our global neighbors thousands of miles away makes us feel like we belong to something greater. I believe with all my heart that we do. Simply put, that is working together to make this world better for every person in it. Take pride in your global community—One Planet, One People, One Purpose.
Restore Humanity’s Vision Statement: Our vision is a world where every person has access to basic human necessities, compassion and kindness are commonplace, and there is a perpetual concern for the well-being of others.