Scott and Katie Taylor have been a part of the Christel House family for several years, serving as volunteers and champions for our kids. Recently Scott , a pilot with FedEx, returned from a trip to Christel House India – Bangalore. Here is his perspective from the trip:
Katie and I began our transition from the active duty Air Force in 2005. Our hopes and dreams for the next chapter of our lives included more time with family (while starting to grow our own), and finding new and different ways of serving our country and community. We decided I would pursue a career flying for FedEx in hopes it would provide stability and flexibility while enabling us to develop our philanthropic passions. A year later, Katie began her post-graduate studies at the IUPUI’s Center on Philanthropy and an internship with the Christel House International headquarters in Indianapolis. We have enjoyed being a part of the Christel House family ever since.
When FedEx began operating into Bangalore, India 6 months ago, I looked to bid a trip which would provide me an opportunity to visit Christel DeHaan’s school located there, one of seven around the world. That opportunity became a reality 18 January 2011 and my assigned crewmate on the 13-day trip, Captain Gordon Boettger, asked to be included.
Christel House India’s director of development, Mini Elias, was our hostess and escort for the day. We visited several classes and met with hundreds of children. Our highlights included a singing and dancing performance, a video presentation of the documentary from the award winning media class, and eating lunch with many of the 900+ students attending the school. But it wasn’t until we visited a dozen of the children’s homes that we realized the scope and magnitude of the impact Christel House is making in their lives and the lives of their families. These families, some living off wages of a dollar a day, are elevating their hopes and dreams of escaping the clutches of poverty solely because of the efforts and investment of the teachers, administrators, staff, and founder of Christel House International.
I am fortunate to have found a job flying for FedEx that enables our family to bear witness to such blessings as Christel House, and to contribute in a small way to the successful transformation of lives from perpetual poverty and struggle to ones of prosperity and significance.
Labels: children, Christel House India, Fedex, poverty, visitor
posted by Christel House Blog @
10:16 AM
