(Photo | Courtesy of Sparrow Clubs USA)
We have great news! Compassion is alive and well! Yes, COVID-19 has changed our entire world and way of life. It continues to threaten people we love in so many ways and has created challenges for Sparrow Clubs USA, both financially and in terms of how the program connects with students and families.
However, let’s repeat the great news: Compassion is alive and well! Compassion still has the power to confront fear, worry, anger, sorrow, and feelings of disconnection (that can easily come from isolation). During a time when many of us are struggling with these very things and more, compassion has the power to give us perspective and purpose. Compassion helps us extend that concern outward, beyond our own lives, to the lives of others in our communities and in our world. In thinking about what the world needs right now in the midst of this pandemic, compassion is at the top of the list
Here is more great news: Sparrow Clubs USA is really good at compassion! More to the point, Sparrow Clubs USA is really good at presenting opportunities for compassion and inspiring and empowering people, especially kids, to act on this and make a difference in other’s lives while also making a positive difference in their own lives.
Schools are closed, but the hearts and minds of students are still open! Sparrow Clubs USA is still open as well. The headquarters in Bend has significantly reduced the physical office hours, but all of the Sparrow staff continue to work remotely from home. During this time, the staff remains fiercely committed to serving the Sparrow families and connecting students with opportunities for compassion and service.
“This year, our message to students is ‘You Matter!’ ” says Executive Director Matt Sampson. “This simple, yet powerful message still rings true for kids, even while isolated at home.”
Below are just a few examples of what our staff is doing to move the Sparrow program forward during this time:
- Checking in regularly with Sparrow families to offer comfort and continued support with their Sparrow Clubs financial accounts.
- Partnering with school teachers and administrators to find ways to support them, while including Sparrow Clubs service/kindness opportunities in this new experiment of ‘Distance Learning.’
- We are very close to rolling out the first ever Sparrow Clubs USA smartphone app! This app will allow for more of a direct connection between students and their Sparrows, further enhancing the compassion/service experience that Sparrow Clubs has become known for.
“This pandemic may be able to shut down a lot of things, but it cannot shut down compassion! Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with all of you during this time. To our supporters, we want to thank you for helping to make Sparrow Clubs such a vibrant and viable conduit of compassion to our world. We are all in this together,” says Sampson.
Please continue to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for information about the soon-to-be released Sparrow Clubs USA app!
To financially support Sparrow Clubs USA, please visit sparrowclubs.org.
