Living as Servant Leaders!
What do you do as a leader when things don’t go as planned?
Our World Changers at Carolina Day School recently experienced this challenge. This club decided that they wanted to lead an effort to enhance the quality of life for women and children by providing good nutrition and educational materials. To live out their mission they chose to serve as a cook team and create summer learning packets for the residents of Steadfast House, a local women and children’s transitional home.
They began planning. They designed all of the menus, led a fund raiser to support their work and decided that they would invite their classmates to participate by asking them to donate specific items for the meals. Sounds like a solid plan!
They were off to a great start preparing a wonderful meal for 50 people of handmade meat and veggie baked ziti, homemade garlic bread, baked apples and brownies.
As the second time to prepare a meal came the club received word that they could not ask classmates to contribute items as they had planned.
The club looked at their finances. While they had some money from their fund raiser it was not enough to provide all the meals they planned and create the summer education packets for the children.
The club decided to make a new plan. Two of the students, both 7th graders, decided that they would ask the 5th grade students for help. The 5th graders regularly sell pizza to fuel a fund that helps students and organizations carry out efforts that help the community and the world.
The girls were successful with their request and were gifted $500 toward their work! In addition to this the club split the supply list between all the members and are taking the responsibility to each gather certain items by reaching out to neighbors and a local church.
I asked the club how they came up with the idea to present their need to the 5th graders. They said that they knew they needed a solution to carry forward with their service. They knew about the 5th grade fund and they hoped they would support their effort. They knew they had to make a new plan to move forward!
These young people are growing as strong leaders who know that leadership requires reorienting yourself to your circumstances when needed, staying positive and moving forward with your mission!
What they are doing is not only helping to reduce hunger, bridge the achievement gap during the summer months and bring joy to others, but they are also increasing their own knowledge of world issues, building life skills, gaining self-awareness, learning to manage their resources and recognizing personal capability!