Stewardship Nuggets for Families and Children
Kids Can Lead the Way: Trick or Treat for UNICEF
By Janet Zimmerman

"Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
        — 1 Timothy 4:12, NRSV

Sometimes children wonder what they can do to make a difference in the world. Give an example of children making a difference in the world by summarizing the origins of Trick or Treat for UNICEF. In 1950, a group of young trick-or-treaters who lived in Philadelphia walked door to door with their pastor. They not only opened their bags for candy, but they they also held out empty milk containers to collect coins for children overseas. The group collected $17.00 and sent the cash to UNICEF. A new tradition was born!

Those children were good stewards of their time and possessions. They used a common event to draw attention to children's needs in the world and served God by doing what they could to help. Through the years, children in the United States have raised more than $119 million through Trick or Treat for UNICEF. A little money can make a very significant difference. Here are some examples from the UNICEF website:

• $1.00 — Protects a child from polio for life.
  In the 1950's, polio claimed 50,000 victims annually in the United States. Today polio still strikes children in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
• $1.00 — Immunizes a child against the deadly disease of measles.
  Measles claims more children's lives each year than wars, famines, and natural disasters combined.
• $3.75 — Provides educational materials (books, pencils, a school bag, slate board, chalk, posters, rulers, safety scissors and notebook) for a child for one year.

For more examples, visit the UNICEF website at www.UNICEF.org. According to Charles J. Lyons, President of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, "When American children Trick or Treat for UNICEF, they are literally helping save other children's lives."

Encourage the children to collect money for UNICEF this Halloween. If they participate in "trick-or-treat," they can collect the money door-to-door. Other fundraising possibilities include: hosting a churchwide fall festival in which all proceeds benefit UNICEF or obtaining permission from your local school district to collect money at a sports event. Encourage the children to be creative and to trust that God will do great things with the collected funds.

Prayer

Sometimes we forget to thank you for all the blessings that we have in the United States. We become so self-centered that we even forget to pray for other children. Forgive us, Lord. Thank you for all the blessings of life. Help us find ways to help other children. Enable us to raise as much money as we can for needy children overseas. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Questions for Discussion

• Visit www.UNICEF.org. Which of the website facts most surprised you? Which examples were the most interesting?
• What are some blessings that U.S. children take for granted? What might be some blessings that children who live in other countries enjoy? Thank God for children and for these abundant blessings.
• What are some ways that you could be a good steward of your time and possessions to make a difference in the world?
• How can children encourage adults and other children to become involved in meeting the needs of children worldwide and to be "examples to believers" (I Timothy 4:12)?

 

Janet Zimmerman is an ordained United Methodist deacon, who serves as Christian Education Director at Church of the Lakes in Canton, Ohio.

Copyright © 2004 The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Any local church or United Methodist agency may reprint any or all of this document as long as the author is cited and the following copyright notice appears:
      Copyright © 2004 The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. Used with permission.

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Posted 10-4-04