Social Issues for Children

Gerda And Kurt Klein Foundation Through its Web site the nonprofit Gerda and Kurt Klein Foundation aims to give young people an opportunity “to understand the world and translate that understanding into positive action.” The foundation promotes the teaching of tolerance and respect for others and also encourages community service focused on ending hunger. On this site you will find suggestions for class projects (“What YOU Can Do to Fight Hunger”) as well as descriptions of several successful school-based projects. The foundation expects to offer a “kNOw Hunger” curriculum on the site in the near future.

Children’s Hunger Relief Fund At first glance this site gives the impression that it exists solely to solicit monetary contributions to support the projects of the CHRF. If you take the time to explore the site, however, you will find many worthwhile features. One of the most notable of these is a link to a related site on Sudan Genocide Awareness that offers accurate, up-to-date information on the Sudan situation. A visit to the CHRF site’s Site Map will bring you to a comprehensive, clickable index of all the topics covered on the site as well as a roundup of links to other sites.

The Hunger Site A daily click on the “Give Free Food” button on this site’s home page enables you to do exactly what the button says: In response to visitors’ clicks, the Hunger Site’s corporate sponsors fund the distribution of food by hunger relief organizations in countries around the world. The sponsors’ ads appear on the “Thank You” page that pops up in response to your click. The number of people helped depends on the number of visitors to The Hunger Site, so it’s a good idea to click every day—and spread the word to family and friends.

Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international relief and development agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. On the CRS Kids' Site site, you will find a guide to the games and activities, curriculum suggestions that correspond with them, and links to CRS education programs. The Kids' Site activities are created for students in grades 3-8.

Social Justice and Peace Links Here Canadian religious educator Gilles Côté has assembled a superb assortment of links relating to social justice and peace, making this single page an outstanding resource for adults interested in Catholic social teaching. There is good background for the catechist or teacher working with children for personal enrichment.

Contributed by Jan Gagen, Director of Religious Education for Saint Mary Nativity parish in Joliet, Illinois