Helping others affected by Japan's earthquake and Tsunami helps our children learn empathy

By now, you've probably read about Japan's earthquake and Tsunami. here's a link to Reuters for information and updates: http://t.co/AF54dZe

If you want to help family members read about Japan's earthquake and tsunami, here's a link on Wikipedia: http://tinyurl.com/6bonbbm

If you want to help the Rotary Foundation with earthquake/tsunami relief, here's a link: http://t.co/6yzMgU2

Helping our children learn age-appropriate information by reading about earthquakes and tsunamis can help them master the fear that such disasters can cause by focusing on the science of nature. By reading to their children, parents can also monitor whether children are becoming overwhelmed or fearful with too much information.

In contrast, seeing disasters unfold repeatedly on television and the Internet can be too intense for some children, causing nightmares and other fears that may linger for months.

Having your children work with you while you help others teaches them empathy, which they need in order to grow up to understand the importance of the Four-Way Test. What can you do to help?

Winnetka-Northfield Foundation 2007 grants for literacy projects

So many Rotarians go about their service projects in a quiet way, focusing their energies on the project itself rather than making their good deeds public. Our club's charitable foundation granted funding for the following literacy projects in 2007:

Winnetka-Northfield Rotary Charitable Foundation Awards June 7, 2007

Organization (Club Champion): Project/Proposal

Literature for All of Us (Karen Thomson): Literacy Education - helping teenage boys to improve their reading skills

Writer’s Theatre, Inc. (Sherre Jennings Cullen) The MLK Project- a project bringing Civil Rights information to schools

Pass Christian Library (Barb Aron):Children's Collection - supporting a two-year commitment to rebuild the Children's collection of the public library destroyed by Katrina

Rotary Literacy Project (Jeanne Beckman): Book Scanning/accessibility software - purchasing software to loan to libraries to allow people with reading challenges to access books, magazines, and the Internet.

LEARN Charter School (Linda Kellough): Materials for science lab - a private school in Chicago needs needs materials for their science lab

Nicaragua Matching Grant (Walter Reed):Fabretto's Children - an institution educating 700 students. Purchasing computer and digital equipment.

Kenya Library (Tony Kambich): Combined Community and School Library funding materials for a new combined library.

RISE International (Mike Wurzburg):Textbooks for a school in Angola.

Futures for Children: Supporting a young American Indian woman to complete her high school education.

Applications have already been submitted for funding for 2008. Stay tuned for updates on these and other literacy projects.