2012-13 Compassion Group:
Compassion Group 2012-13: Back: Joel Shetler, Jacob Bruns, Laura Hochstetler, Isabel Mendoza, Madeline Leichty, Jessica Bender, Vesna Zunic. Third row: Rudin Mucaj, Hannah Gingerich, Kaylin Brokaw, Katie Bender, C. Bai, Sohee Kim, Alvard Mamikonyan. Second row: Keilah Brokaw, Cheyenne Lemon, Shay Durflinger, Ivy Lin, Bonnie Smith. First Row: Jenna Boller, Breana Stout, Alaina Beatty, Nicole Roetlin, Camila Segar, Michaela Gingerich, Lavinia Xu.
Compassion Group at Iowa Mennonite School raises funds for a variety of needs both locally and globally. Three children, Marianita Ogerio from the Philippines, Daniel Ardiano Pol from Guatemala, and Elisa Adriana Salas Andrade from Ecuador are sponsored through Children International. Our sponsorship entails providing funds for their schooling, medical care, clothing and household needs, plus gifts of money to provide for needed items at Christmas, Easter and on their birthdays. For three children our responsibility is close to $1,300.
Fall activities include a Compassion Spirit Week including a silent auction, faculty/student volleyball game and cake walk.
A favorite fundraiser of students and faculty is “Ditch the Dress Code” day. This is held throughout the year and the students and faculty are charged $1.00 for ditching the dress code.
The Compassion Group has donated to a variety of causes over the years. A cow was donated to Heifer Project International, clothing was sent to Nicaragua, food was donated to the Kalona Food Pantry, gifts were sent to an orphanage in Serbia, and money was donated to a local family who lost their home in a fire. The group also raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Compassion also collected Health Kits and Relief Kits to be sent to Haiti through the Mennonite Central Committee, as well as raised money for water chlorinators for Haiti.
We thank students, staff, parents, and those in the community who have contributed in any way to the activities we have sponsored or will sponsor and for your donations to our projects. Bonnie Smith is the faculty sponsor for the Compassion Group.
Vesna Zunic, Lavinia Xu, C. Bai, Bonnie Smith
Alvard Mamikonyan, Cheyenne Lemon, Ivy Lin & Katie Bender