Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sandee's Job......

I am very thankful for my job. I am the coordinator for ACSI's student sponsorship program. I get to work from home which is wonderful. I also work part-time, which is another blessing. And best of all, even though it is indirect interaction, I get to work with students from different countries around the world. I have to proof-read and "approve" all letters between students and their sponsors, so I get to "meet" them in a roundabout sort of way, and I get to see updated photos of their beautiful faces!
Sadly, ACSI is phasing out of this program, and that is the part of my work that is not very much fun (i.e. I get to phase it out). When a student that someone is sponsoring leaves the program because they graduate from high school (or they leave for another reason), and when that sponsor tells me that they would like to have a new student, I don't like having to tell them that we have no new student to assign to them. Yesterday I spoke with a school administrator from Missouri who requested six new students for his school to sponsor. I was so sorry that I had none to give to him (but thankfully I am able to offer these sponsors a great alternative - the option of connecting with another organization that also sponsors kids so that they can go to school).

My job involves a lot of time spent on the computer and a considerable amount of letter writing, updating student and sponsor files, connecting with overseas schools who have students in the sponsorship program, and making contact with sponsors. Interestingly, a lot of the sponsorship comes from schools in the U.S. and Canada. There are several schools where every class (grade) sponsors a student! What a great idea, don't you agree, to get your whole school passionate about reaching out and getting actively involved?

Beautiful children who are getting a quality education thanks to committed sponsors who care about them.

My office. I do almost all of my work in the shade of our little balcony! I suppose that with fall approaching it won't be too long before I have to move indoors.

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