A mother’s Thanksgiving story
To my fellow friends of GAC,
"What do you do on Thanksgiving?" a boy asked, looking younger than his eight years. I told him my family would gather and sit for hours eating. Then I wondered, how would he relate to this? For his entire life he’d been a garbage picker in rural India, until he and other child laborers had been rescued and given enough food to fill their small bellies.
In 2005 my 4-year-old daughter and I celebrated Thanksgiving at this rehabilitation center in India, where children could now smile, play, go to school and start being children. 
Becoming a mother compelled me to not only be concerned with my own daughter’s wellbeing, but the wellbeing of the world’s children. With Mothers Acting Up (MAU), an organization mobilizing mothers to act on behalf of the world’s children, I can shape policies that positively impact children around the world, and a chance to say to boys like those I met in India, "I care for you, whether you are in my house, or on the other side of the planet."
This Thanksgiving, as I gather with friends and family, I will wish all children had what I saw at the rehabilitation center: a chance to play, learn and be a child. I invite you to join me in realizing this dream.
Start little. Grow big.
P.S. To become an active community leader for GAC, please contact my friend Stacy Carkonen
(.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) who is mobilizing a powerful network of people to act on behalf of children worldwide.
If you’re interested in investing a few hours a month with GAC, then please do contact Stacy Carkonen
, our new community organizing guru. If your life’s a little too hectic right now, remember there are few other little actions you can take that can stack up to big changes in a child’s life.- Speak out for children by writing your newspaper or Congressperson.
- Join GAC on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates.
- Tell a friend about the opportunities for children and grow the GAC family.
- Donate to GAC’s work in Washington, D.C. so we can continue advocating for orphans and vulnerable children worldwide.
On this week of Thanksgiving, we wanted to take this opportunity to say, "Thank you," for all you do to ensure every child has the opportunity to grow up safe and healthy in their communities.
So Happy Thanksgiving to you from all of us at Global Action for Children!
GAC celebrates Universal Children’s Day
November 20, 2009: Executive Director Kathleen Guy urges the U.S. to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on its 20th Anniversary.
Foreign Policy: Over State’s objections, Senate to move ahead on foreign-aid bill
November 16, 2009: In yet another sign that the administration and Capitol Hill aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye these days, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will mark up the Kerry-Lugar foreign aid reform bill Tuesday, moving the ball forward despite the State Department’s desire that Congress hold off until administration reviews are finished.
From the World
Time LIVE: UN in bid to boost education in Africa
November 22, 2009: The United Nations has vowed to urgently tackle problems of teacher shortages, adult illiteracy and low pupil enrolment at schools on the African continent over the next year.
On eve of UN food summit: 20 best ways to feed the hungry
November 15, 2009:The UN’s food summit begins in Rome Monday. The lead-up to the summit has been mired with disputes, but one study highlights20 innovative programs that have helped feed people worldwide.
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