Outreach group prepares volunteers at Cape workshop

A global outreach program showed area residents how to help poor communities break the cycle of poverty one animal at a time.

Heifer International, which combats hunger and poverty though gifts of animals and animal husbandry training, held a workshop Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau.

Tom Mueller, area coordinator for Heifer, said the program provides the means for self-reliance to people in need throughout the world.

Mueller has worked with Heifer for more than 10 years and frequently gives talks to community groups about Heifer's mission of "Ending Hunger, Saving the World."

"The meeting was a great chance to exchange ideas and do some networking with other people who are involved with Heifer," Mueller said.

Midwest director David Boothby spoke at the meeting about Heifer's projects, which are operating in 35 countries. About 80 percent of Heifer's yearly budget goes toward international service projects, with the remainder used for service in the United States. Heifer was founded 62 years ago.

"We help people in developing communities work together to help themselves," Boothby said. "Animals are the tool we use to do that."

Boothby said Heifer gives livestock management training to community members before delivering animals. Heifer also provides gender equity and literacy training in some instances, according to Boothby.

Friday's presentation focused on preparing volunteers to give similar presentations about Heifer's mission at conferences and community events.

Boothby said Heifer does not currently offer aid programs in Missouri, but it's possible they may restart a program in the Bootheel.

Boothby's presentation prepared volunteers to lead fund-raising efforts for Heifer.

Donna Taake, a 4-H youth specialist, has led two trips to the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Ark. The ranch is one of Heifer's outreach programs, designed to teach teenagers about world poverty by exposing them to realistic conditions of a village in the developing world.

Taake said students spend a night in a hut without air conditioning and have to share resources and with the other "villages" on the ranch. Some of the villages have water, while others have firewood and food supplies.

"They have to work together and cooperate to cook dinner that night," Taake said. "The kids also get the chance to see how cottage industries work. On our trip we made soap from scratch."

Taake said her students told her the trip to the Heifer Ranch had a greater impact than any of the others she has led.

"It's a really good program for any church youth group or educational group," Taake said. "It's a very powerful trip and it helps kids understand the state of world poverty."

pwylie@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127