G.I.V.E. Get Involved, Volunteer in Education

Stand For Children

By Eliza Leighton, Deputy Director of Stand for Children, Parents' Source, May 20, 2000.

These days, it seems that every special interest group has a voice - a group or organization through which they can get their message out to a target audience. Seniors have the AARP, environmentalists have the Sierra Club, and gun owners have the NRA. Children need a voice just as strong. Nobody can guarantee a child's future. But in a nation as rich and resourceful as ours, if we make it our priority, we can give all children a fair chance in life. Stand For Children's mission is to create a voice strong enough to get our priorities straight, and to ensure that all children have an opportunity to grow up healthy, educated, and safe.

In today's society, many important child-related issues need to be addressed. Three out of four babies and toddlers are in poor quality child care settings, because their working parents can't find or afford better care. Few children and young people have safe, enriching places to go before and after school. One child in six has no health insurance. Most of their parents work and can't afford coverage. Children are in schools with overcrowded classes and overburdened teachers.

There are solutions for children and parents. They include more subsidies for parents, and more training and pay for providers, before and after-school enrichment at school and community sites, more affordable, accessible medical, dental and mental health care, and schools with smaller classes, more counselors, and well-trained teachers.

In 1996, the Children's Defense Fund organized a national rally called Stand For Children Day to demonstrate their commitment to children. It proved to be the largest demonstration for children in history, with over 300,000 people standing together at the Lincoln Memorial on June 1st. Since then, Stand For Children has grown into a national membership organization with local Chapters around the country. Additionally, each year, local volunteers plan Stand For Children Day events to mark the national day in their local communities.

This year, the theme, "Building Safer and Healthier Communities for All Children" will be the platform for the fifth annual Stand For Children Day 2000. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take part in over 2,000 events on and around June 1. Efforts for this year's Stand For Children Day are already well underway. By holding these events, Stand For Children hopes to create awareness of children's needs, recognize the positive efforts being made, make concrete improvements, and rally support for national legislation.

Activities are planned throughout the Berks and Lancaster County regions, in order to commemorate Stand For Children Day. They include "Take a Stand For Children", sponsored by the Lititz Community Center. This "Stand-A-Thon" takes place on Friday, June 2nd, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the entrance to Lititz Springs Park. Project organizer Don Yeager says participants are encouraged to stand for one hour, in an effort to raise funds to build a safe and fun playground for area children. In nearby Allentown, a "Stand For Children 2000 Legislative Day" will be held on June 1st. A panel of local "experts" will question legislators on a variety of prepared issues, including early childhood education, children's mental health, and family support. On Friday, June 2nd, the Lehigh Valley Velodrome will be the site of a Health and Fitness Day.

In addition to national and local events, more than 200,000 visitors are expected to visit the Stand for Kids website and take part in "Cyber Stand For Children," an education and action campaign, which takes place between May 22 - June 9. Participants will be encouraged to sign the Stand For Children pledge, and send Cyber-postcards to their elected officials, encouraging them to stand up for legislation to support children and families.

How can you get involved with Stand For Children, and the organization's efforts to improve health and education conditions for children? There are three ways:

Join! Stand For Children's members participate at various levels. Annual membership dues are $12, $24, or $36 for individuals. The fees are calculated on a sliding scale, with individuals paying what they can afford. Stand For Children members receive many benefits, including services and discounts, the Stand Update, online updates on issues affecting children, opportunities to take action with other members, a planning kit and support to help organize a local Stand For Children Day activity, and training and support to help organize a local Stand For Children Chapter.

Organize or Attend a Stand For Children Day Event! Call 1-800-663-4032, visit www.stand.org, or email tellstand@stand.org. In addition to providing technical support and assistance, Stand For Children will link organizers and their events to people nationwide.

Form or Join a Stand For Children Chapter: The first step to forming a Chapter is to join, and encourage at least four other people to join. Stand For Children has a variety of training resources and opportunities available to support members in the Chapter building process.

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