Compassion Group 2010-11: Back: Whitney Gibbs, Bonnie Smith, Turkan Hajiahmadova, Rachel Schrock, Mallory Martens, Jess Miller, Levi Schorck, Hannah Altmaier, Randy Ropp, Matt Libby, Ben Libby, Reggie Hostetler. Front: Mischa de Jesus, Quinlan Schrock, Maddie Miller, Wenwen Wang, Ashley Beatty, Ting Davidson, Tamara Vukovikj, Naomi Miller, Laura Hochstetler, Laura Yoder
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 included a Compassion Spirit Week including a silent auction, faculty/student volleyball game, cake walk and offering which generated close to $500.
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 gathered many items that were sold by auction over the lunch hour on Thursday, April 22, 2010. Gentry Yoder (’97) of Yoder Auction Service in Frytown again donated his time to auction a variety of goods and services. Meals, dates, food, and services were sold. Several businesses generously gave of their wares. Maple Avenue Greenhouse donated a hanging basket and annual flowers, Yotty’s Hardware Store in Kalona gave a $15 gift certificate, Twin County Dairy donated cheese curds, Freeman Foods of Wellman donated two $50 gift certificates, and Bright Futures Chiropractic of Kalona donated a fitness ball. $553.50 was generated from the auction for Compassion. This money was used for water chlorinators for Haiti and to help support the children that IMS has “adopted” and pays quarterly dues to Children International.
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 $400 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.
Sam Swartzendruber and Levi Schrock put their quarters into their class tube. Compassion members Mallory Martens, Mischa DeJesus and Jess Miller stamp their hands to show they paid their quarters.
Madeline Miller inserts her four quarters into the senior tube.