| OCTOBER 19, 2010 -- Bill Wernau, of East Lyme, traveled to Little Rock, Ark., Oct. 14-17, to participate in the first ever, national area volunteer coordinators meeting for Heifer International, a global hunger- and poverty-fighting organization.
In Little Rock, Wernau, formerly Director of Bioprocess Research at Pfizer, joined 100 other Heifer area volunteer coordinators to visit the organization’s world headquarters and Heifer Village, a hands-on museum where people can experience the conditions, the causes and some of the answers to hunger and poverty. Five years ago, Wernau took a Heifer Study Tour to Honduras and experienced first-hand the impact of Heifer’s approach to ending poverty and hunger. He has been serving as a volunteer spokesperson for Heifer in Connecticut for approximately six years.
Wernau and the other volunteers also visited Heifer Ranch in nearby Perryville, Ark., where students, adults and others have a chance to take part in lambing programs, learn about sustainable agriculture and participate in overnight programs where they personally experience some of the challenges of global hunger and poverty—and come away with a re-energized determination to be part of the solution.
“I am so excited about this opportunity I had to visit Heifer’s headquarters,” said Wernau, “but I am even more excited at the chance to meet and to get to know my fellow volunteers and to immerse myself in all things Heifer.”
“I have been impressed by the life-changing work the organization provides, and how the smallest gift can make the biggest difference for a family in need—how the gift of a cow, goat or sheep, along with training in its care, can mean better nutrition, income, education and a better life for a family and, eventually, an entire community.”
With Heifer’s cornerstone Passing on the Gift requirement, a family that receives the gift of an animal or training in environmentally friendly agriculture is required to pass on the first offspring of their animal, as well as training. This multiplies the benefit of the gift and families who once had little to nothing become donors themselves.
“Heifer’s story is a powerful one,” said Wernau “but it’s impact, the change it fosters in people’s lives is even more powerful. Heifer’s approach works! It ends the cycle of poverty permanently for those communities that participate. Lives are saved. Children and adults are educated, Self esteem is preserved. The environment is enhanced. Lives and communities are transformed.”
Specifically, the meeting was intended to deepen volunteers’ knowledge of and connection to Heifer and to help them to better understand the organization’s global structure so that they can more ably provide high quality education, outreach and fundraising events and activities in their home communities.
“Heifer’s volunteers have always been its greatest assets,” said Pat Keay, national community volunteer manager. “Every day, our volunteers represent and speak for Heifer and make new friends for the organization. At this national conference they learned new skills, secured some new resources and had the chance to bond as a team of volunteers who can mentor and support one another.
“It’s making stronger the strong volunteer foundation Heifer already has,” said Keay.
Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in 50 countries, including the U.S., to help families and communities become more self-reliant.
For more information, visit www.heifer.org or call 1-800-696-1918. |
