Read To Feed Has a Fun New Website

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Know a group of kids who’d like to get involved with Heifer? We have some exciting news about Heifer’s classic Read to Feed program.

Read to Feed now has a revamped website, with features that make it extra-simple and enjoyable to participate in this reading incentive program. Teachers will find it easier than ever to customize their class’s project and share their students’ progress with the whole community.

Read to Feed involves classrooms in helping to end hunger and poverty around the world, while fostering a love of reading. Now educators can set up a class reading and fundraising goal and use Facebook, Twitter and email to encourage their friends, family and neighbors to get involved.

Read to Feed challenges children to use their own reading efforts to help buy Heifer International animals for other needy kids. Kids love to work toward this goal, because it’s a purpose that makes sense to them. Hunger is a clear injustice, and children want to be part of the solution.

The free Read to Feed kit is full of materials to make the project come to life. At the end of the program, the group pools its challenge funds and decides which animals to donate through Heifer International, to help other families move into self-reliance.

Education World called the website “light and fun,” saying, “For classes that want to improve student reading ability while helping families in need, Read to Feed is the place to go.”

Classes can add pictures, goals and achievements to the class page and use a fundraising thermometer to help keep track of all the progress. Teachers looking for new ways to inspire their classes can visit www.readtofeed.org or, to order the Read to Feed kit, email volunteer@heifer.org or call 877-275-READ (7323).

Read to Feed Helps Kids Learn to Love Reading

As parents and schools gear up for the school year, Heifer International wants you to know about its special reading incentive program for grade-school kids. Read to Feed helps teachers impart an ethic of global giving to kids while also fostering their reading skills.

Read to Feed reading program

The Read to Feed reading program is great for kids in grades K-6.

With Read to Feed, kids get so excited about giving animals to help children in poverty, they may not even realize they’re also helping themselves by reading more. Just like adults, kids are more enthusiastic about their efforts when they know they’re making a difference to others.

In Read to Feed, children (individually or as a group) get sponsors for each book they read during a certain time period. At the end of the program, the group pools its funds and decides which animals to donate through Heifer International, to help other families reach self-reliance.

The program even has a snazzy new online resource center that makes it easy for teachers to learn about the program and get their materials. Heifer International knows how vital education is. So why not help a younger generation to educate themselves while they learn about the pleasure of helping others?

Chores for Heifer

Do you have a kid at home who needs help keeping track of chores? Do your kids love Heifer International?  MyJobChart.com, which gives children the chance to “save,” “spend” or “share” the points they earn from completing their chores recently announced Heifer as one of its premier charities. Nearly 140,000 kids use the online chore chart and have completed 10 million chores over the last two years. online core chart

From their website:

“When I first created the online chore chart, I did so to encourage my own six children to stay on task and to complete their chores,” says Gregg Murset, founder of MyJobChart.com. “More than that, though, I wanted to teach them how money works and help them see the rewards that come from saving and the joy that can come from giving to others.”

Murset says Heifer International perfectly fits with what MyJobChart is accomplishing.

“As users of My Job Chart decide to ‘share’ and designate the points they earn to go to Heifer International or another charity, these young people begin to feel that their work truly does matter. More than just pleasing their parents, they learn they have abilities and opportunities that can make a difference on a much grander scale,” says Murset.

While young users are drawn to the free online chore chart for its ease of use and the high-tech feel they love, parents are pleased with the less-obvious benefits of My Job Chart. My Job Chart “gets kids and parents talking, it changes the entire conversation when it comes to work and money,” Murset says.

Bottom line, Murset says, “It’s free, and it works! MyJobChart.com is just a fun, easy way to instill work ethic and build character over time. Now, with the opportunity to contribute to Heifer, users can feel the satisfaction that comes with helping to lift others out of poverty and become self-reliant .”

My daughter is only 3, so while she does have a handful of “chores” to do (mostly just picking up after herself), she’s still a little young for an online chore chart. But you can bet your pennies I’ll be signing her up for this when she’s ready. I’m excited to see what comes  of this, not only because of the donations that will allow Heifer to fulfill our mission, but also because I love the connection it makes for kids between their efforts at home and improving the lives of others around the world.

Sign your kids up! And let us know in the comments section below how it goes.

Don’t have kids at home? Use our social sharing buttons and spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors.