Stars of Hope

July 2nd, 2017

Patti Doyle, Bonnie Croker, Lynn Hildebrand, Celia Asbedo

On June 30th, I finished volunteering at the Humane Society with these ladies.  I am part of a group that advocates for animals called SARACA.  The green shirts are our SARACA uniforms...pretty much.  We're new and will probably get some other shirts eventually, but for now, this is how we identify as a group.

We volunteered for a week, participating in the Critter Camp Event that is held by Lynn Hildebrand every year right at the San Bernardino Valley Humane Society.  Lynn is always working hard to share the concept of being kind with children from the area. To do this she brings in animals and guest speakers...as well as conducting many activities.  Local families sign their children up to come for four hours a day for a week.  Snacks are served...and it's generally just a great time for everyone.

Bonnie Croker, our SARACA leader  

One of the activities in particular really moved me.  It is an art project which involves the children who came to Critter Camp creating Stars of Hope, painted wooden stars with messages of inspiration on them.  The concept of Stars of Hope began with the attacks on the Twin Towers of 9/11.  A young man decided that the people of New York needed to be uplifted during the days and weeks after the terrorist's attack and had some stars sent to the location to inspire hope.  It didn't stop there.  I read a story about a town that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy...also in New York.  A woman who lived in the town that was utterly destroyed said that she came outside one day and saw several Stars of Hope hanging from a tree that survived the storm.  The words on the stars actually helped...being seen over and over.  When all of the good people who had helped the people who had come to help the town had gone home, the stars remained to remind the town that people were still thinking of them, they hadn't been forgotten.  It turns out that the Stars had been created by Japanese school children who had just experienced a Tsunami that tore their home town to pieces and knew how the townspeople in New York were feeling.

The idea is that when anyone or any town suffers through a tragedy, people will send messages of encouragement on these stars to let the victims know that they are being thought of, prayed for, encouraged, remembered, and loved.  A group of high school students created stars that read "Faith", "Keep Your Head Up", etc. for a town in Missouri that went through its own natural disaster.  I just fell in love with this act of kindness...acts that are so necessary today more than ever. 

So when the children began to make their stars, I really felt hopeful myself.  Not only were their stars destined to help someone who was feeling sad, lost, or hopeless...but these youngsters were learning that they possessed the power to be kind, and could use that kindness to make a difference.  I'm really glad I volunteered that week.  I liked being in the middle of all that kindness.

Go take a nice hike,

Patt!

Peace!