By Larissa Lytwyn
Newtown Bee 12/22/04, Newtown, CN

Brooke Waltzer, an eighth grader at Fraser Woods Montessori School, recognizes the face of privilege when she looks into a mirror. She is also powerfully aware of the millions of less fortunate all over the world, from the hundreds of thousands of orphaned Chinese children to homeless Americans' difficult search for an indoor place to spend a winter's night.

Most of all, Brooke knows about the thousands of people living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC, formerly Zaire) who have become disabled through neurological disorders, accidents, or landmines. Pulling themselves across rough terrain, they often fall victim to fatal snakebites - the leading cause of death among Africans with disabilities.

For the past two years, Brooke, and many other students at Fraser Woods, have dedicated themselves to making a difference for these people. Last year, Fraser Woods parent Diane Dutchik conducted an Internet search for legitimate, worldwide charities that students could use for a holiday service project. Alternative Gifts International (AGI) lists more than 30 charities from around the world, each administered by agencies that contractually agree to spend 100 percent of the dispersal to the people in need.

Students in Steve Epstein's eighth year leadership class, an e

lective course that involves students in a variety of local, state, and national community service endeavors, chose three Alternative Gifts charities for the school to focus on. This year, the class chose "Wheelchairs for New Life," "Rescue an Orphan," and "A Transition for the Homeless."

"New Life" provides disabled DROC residents with free wheelchairs; the Free Wheelchair Mission (FWM), a related charitable agency, has set a goal to distribute 20 million free wheelchairs by 2010. AGI uses a special kind of durable, lightweight wheelchair designed by MIT engineer professor Don Schoendorfer from plastic chairs and bicycle wheels set against strong steel frames. The wheelchairs specifically meet the needs of the people in developing countries, such as DROC, who rarely experience smooth surfaces beneath their wheels.

"Rescue" is the product of a successful initiative by China Connection, a US-based Christian nonprofit agency, partnered with China's Amity Foundation since 1989, a program active in more than 60 Chinese orphanages. China Connection volunteers work to ensure that the children gain the proper medical care and nutrition, often mentoring the sometimes little-experienced orphanage staff. China has high numbers of orphans due to repercussions of the country's once-strict "one child" policy, originally made in an effort to curb its exploding population growth. Though the policy is now somewhat relaxed, there is still immense social pressure to have one "perfect" child per couple. This has often resulted in the abandonment of children with disabilities and female babies.

"Transition" sends donors' gifts to ten US organizations that provide overnight shelter and/or transitional housing. Most of these organizations also provide services such as job training and are working to find permanent housing solutions for the many Americans seeking their own home.

Once these three Alternative Gifts "packages" were chosen, Mr Epstein's class broke into groups, each headed by a project manager, to advertise and present information on the charities. Soon, the entire Fraser Woods community was abuzz. "Instead of a grandfather or father receiving another tie he doesn't need, he can make a donation to one of the charities," said Mr Epstein. Ms Dutchik said the project allowed students to use a variety of skills, from world history and culture to geography and math. "It really gets students more in touch with the world around them," she said.

Brooke said working to get the word out on the program broadened her world perspective. "I realized how varied, and complex, a lot of the big social problems out there are," she said, "and how yet, in this structure, simple needs, like basic nutrition and medical equipment, can still be met. You really learn how 'one person' can make a difference." Jeffrey McKee, another student, said he deeply supported the "Transitions" program partly because of its American roots. "Sometimes, people don't realize how many people are in need right here in the US," he said. "Working on the 'Transitions' program really opened my eyes on the homeless [situation] we have." Students learned, for example, the myriad of circumstances that can lead to homelessness, thus debunking the stereotyping characteristic of laziness.

People struggling with untreated mental illnesses often end up homeless. After making the harrowing decision to finally leave a physically abusive partner, many women have nowhere to turn but the streets. Disabled, isolated veterans of war struggle to support themselves. Runaway children and teens escaping homes wrought with substance abuse and violence populate neighborhoods both urban and suburban. Statistically, one in four persons who are homeless are employed. Yet, rent and mortgage payments are rising disproportionately to inflation rates and minimum wages. There are very long lists of people waiting for housing assistance. Those who do find affordable low-income housing are often forced to inhabit poor-quality buildings in unsafe neighborhoods.

"We can become so isolated here in our little communities that we forget about that bigger picture," said Mr Epstein. "It's important to recognize that, and these students have. They've come to truly understand the value of making a difference." Alternative Gifts International offers gifts for every occasion, not just the holiday season. For more information, visit www.alternativegifts.org.