WIXLIB

call to family,community and participationCOUNTRY SPOTLIGHT:HAITILESSON PLANS GRADES 1–8CONTENTSCall to Family, Community andParticipation, and Catholic ReliefServices Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Louisma’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Lesson Plans and Activity SheetsGrades 1–3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Grades 4–6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Grades 7–8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Photo by Ashley Rytterfor CRS 2015 Catholic Relief services. All Rights Reserved.US1596

background informationfor session leadersCALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPATIONCall to Family, Community and Participation is one of the Seven Themes ofCatholic Social Teaching as outlined by the United States Conference of CatholicBishops, or USCCB. Catholics believe that every human life is sacred and shouldbe respected from conception until natural death. We also believe that humanlife is inherently social, and that how we relate to each other in society impactshuman dignity and our ability to grow in community (SevenThemes of Catholic Social Teaching) USCCB. Marriage andfamily are foundational communities of society. In the Actsof the Apostles, St. Paul describes what community lookslike: Disciples of Christ shared their food and possessions tomake sure the neediest among them were taken care of (Acts2:42–47). These members of the early Church model a societyin which all members of a community care for one another.Children play during acommunity-run mother’s clubmeeting. Bottom: A girl attendsa graduation ceremony formothers who have learned aboutpreventing malnutrition in youngchildren through an educationalprogram.Photos by Ashley Rytter/CRSCATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICESCatholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarianagency of the Catholic community in the United States. We aremotivated by the example of Jesus Christ to assist poor andsuffering people in more than 100 countries on the basis ofneed, without regard to race, religion or nationality. Founded in1943, CRS reaches 85 million of the world’s poorest people eachyear with innovative solutions to poverty, hunger, drought, disease and emergencies.CRS works in close partnership with the Catholic Church around the world, and withlocal, national and internationalorganizations that share ourcommitment to finding ways to meetimmediate needs while empoweringcommunities for the long term.CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITYAND PARTICIPATION, AND CRSThe health care program in LesCayes, Haiti, is just one example ofhow CRS supports the Call to Family,Community and Participation. Theprogram was run almost entirelyby Haitian resident volunteers likeLouisma. Volunteers contributedmore than 175,000 hours per yearand reached out to more than 29,000children and 12,000 mothers. Intarget communities, the malnutritionrate decreased from 14 percent to 8percent.call to family, community and participation COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: HAITI 2015 Catholic Relief services. All Rights Reserved.US15962

ndoOCEANxLouisma’s StoryHaiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, islocated in the Caribbean Sea. Most Haitians live on lessCUBACapthan 2 per day. Around the seaport of Les Cayes, thereHaïtienPort-de-Paixare few doctors or hospitals. Catholic Relief Services isFortGonaïvesLibertéworking with volunteers like Louisma Toussaint to set upGOLFE DEHinchecommunity health clinics. CRS trained Louisma and herDOMINICANLA GONÂVEREPUBLICPORT-AUfellow volunteers to provide basic checkups and medicalPRINCEassistance, and helped set up a community “rally post,”JérémieJacmelwhere families meet with Louisma and the other volunteers.Les CayesMothers bring their babies to the rally post for monthlyCARIBBEANcheckups. Louisma weighs and measures the babies to makeSEAsure they are healthy and growing, vaccinates them andtreats their illnesses. When someone needs a doctor, LouismaTop: Mothers who gather tohelps them get to the closest hospital. When they return home from thelearn about community healthhospital, Louisma checks on them to make sure they are doing well.also grow vegetable gardensATLANTICOCEANICNGODOMINICAN REPUBLICCap-Haïtiento provide their children withFort-Liberténutritious food. Above left:Haiti is the poorest country inATIC Gonaïvesthe Western Hemisphere, withHinche80 percent of Haitians livingon less than 2 a day. The diresituation in Haiti was worsenedby a 7.0-magnitude earthquake-au-Prince in January 2010 that killed about230,000 people.JacmelMap credit: OCHA. Photoby Ashley Rytter/CRSimply officialbean SeaWorld.tions used on this map do not imply officialMap created in Sep 2013.A mothers’ club meets at the rally post each month to share tips. They alsoget advice from Louisma about keeping themselves and their children healthy.The club has a community garden where the mothers grow vegetables andfruits. They share recipes for using vegetables to make healthy, balanced meals.Lousima and her fellow volunteers are making a big difference. Since Louismabegan volunteering, the number of children who suffer from malnutrition inher community has dropped by nearly half. “I look at all the children andto see this energetic group of them, the future seems more fruitful.”CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPATIONHuman beings are social by nature. We, like the early disciples, are invited to cometogether as a community, whether in our classroom, workplace or family. As God’sfamily, we are called to look out for one another.call to family, community and participation COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: HAITI 2015 Catholic Relief services. All Rights Reserved.US15963

call to family,community and participationCOUNTRY SPOTLIGHT:HAITILESSON PLAN GRADES 1–345 MinutesOBJECTIVEACTIVITY* (25 MINUTES)Students will learn about the Catholicsocial teaching principle Call toFamily, Community and Participation(United States Conference of CatholicBishops, Seven Themes of CatholicSocial Teaching) through the storyof Louisma Toussaint, a volunteerat a health care center in Haiti.1. Gather everyone in the middle of theroom. Give one student the ball of yarnand instruct him or her to hold ontothe end and throw the ball to anotherstudent. While tossing the ball, invitethe student to say one thing he or shecould do to help the person catchingit. The student catching the ball shouldhold onto an end and then throw theball to another student, while naminga way to help that person. Repeat untileveryone is holding a piece of the yarn.MATERIALS Ball of yarn and a large spaceCall to Family, Communityand Participation ActivitySheets, Grades 1–32. Before you put the yarn away,invite students to observehow interconnected everyonein the circle really is.Coloring suppliesLouisma’s StoryWhiteboard and markerWorld mapDISCUSSION(15 MINUTES)1. Explain that students will learnabout the Church’s teaching onthe Call to Family, Communityand Participation through thestory of Louisma, a volunteer ata health care center in Haiti.2. Locate Haiti on the world map.Read Louisma’s Story.3. Ask: How is Louisma helping hercommunity? Relate this to the Catholicsocial teaching principle Call to Family,Community and Participation.3. Explain that it is easy to see howwe are interconnected to everyonein our class because we see eachother nearly every day. Explainthat the class is a community. Askstudents to name other examples ofcommunity. Write their answers onthe board. If the answer doesn’t comeup naturally, encourage the classto think of Louisma’s community.4. Distribute the Call to Family,Community and ParticipationActivity Sheets, Grades 1–3, andcoloring supplies, and allow 5minutes to complete them.CLOSING PRAYER (5 MINUTES)Loving God, we pray for LouismaToussaint and all people who help maketheir communities a better place tolive. Inspire us to help people who aresick, suffering and hungry. AmenTAKING IT HOMEInvite students to share anddiscuss their completed activitysheets with their families.call to family, community and participation COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: HAITI 2015 Catholic Relief services. All Rights Reserved.US15964

call to family,community and participationCOUNTRY SPOTLIGHT:HAITIACTIVITY SHEET GRADES 1–31. Write the name of one person you know from eachof the communities named in the circles.2. Write or draw something you can do to help each community.ITY OR TOWNMY CMY CLASSMY FAMILYMEcall to family, community and participation COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: HAITI 2015 Catholic Relief services. All Rights Reserved.US15965

call to family,community and participationCOUNTRY SPOTLIGHT:HAITILESSON PLAN GRADES 4–645 MinutesOBJECTIVEACTIVITY (20 MINUTES)Students will learn about the Catholicsocial teaching principle Call toFamily, Community and Participation,(United States Conference of CatholicBishops, Seven Themes of CatholicSocial Teaching) through the storyof Louisma Toussaint, a volunteerat a health care center in Haiti.1. Draw an outline of a tree aroundthe list of challenges that thestudents generated. Over thetree, write “A Fruitful Future.”MATERIALS3. Distribute Called to Family,Community and ParticipationActivity Sheets, Grades4–6, and allow studentstime to complete them. Call to Family, Communityand Participation ActivitySheets, Grades 4–6Louisma’s StoryPens or pencilsPieces of colored constructionpaper cut into the shapes ofvarious tropical fruits, enough foreach student to get one cutoutRolls of tapeWhiteboard and markerWorld mapDISCUSSION2. Read Lousima’s Story again,and ask students to listen for theways that community membersresponded to these challenges.4. Give each student one of the fruitcutouts. Ask them to write on itthe solution that most touchedthem and to tape their fruitson the “Fruitful Future” tree.5. Tell students that the Call to Family,Community and Participationinvites us all to respond tochallenges facing our communitiesas Louisma did in Haiti.CLOSING PRAYER (5 MINUTES)(20 MINUTES)1. Share that students will learnabout the Church’s teaching onthe Call to Family, Communityand Participation through thestory of Louisma, a volunteer ata health care center in Haiti.2. Locate Haiti on the world map.Read Louisma’s Story.3. Ask students to imagine healthchallenges facing the community.Write these on the board.Lord God, we pray for all peoplewho encounter challenges in theircommunities. We pray that, like Louisma,we will help all people obtain whatthey need for a fruitful future. AmenTAKING IT HOMEEncourage students to pray withtheir families for people in theircommunity facing challenges.4. Point out how Louisma is helpingher community respond tothese challenges, and relatethis to the Catholic socialteaching principle Call to Family,Community and Participation.call to family, community and participation COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: HAITI 2015 Catholic Relief services. All Rights Reserved.US15966

call to family,community and participationCOUNTRY SPOTLIGHT:HAITIACTIVITY SHEET GRADES 4–6Directions: Draw a line to match each problem with a solutionfrom the CRS health care project Louisma volunteers with.PROBLEMSSOLUTIONSFew fresh fruits and vegetablesavailable to families1AVaccines givenFruits and vegetables in the market moreexpensive than less healthy food2BCommunity gardens to grow fresh foodLimited understanding abouthealth care and nutrition3CPost-hospital monitoringCheckups for babies limited4DMore produce stands available in marketsLack of attention tomothers’ own health needs5ETrained volunteers referring peopleto health care centersLack of doctor follow-upafter hospital stays6FHealth care and nutrition educationIllness goes untreated7GSigns of illness identifiedNo hospitals nearby8HRecipes for nutritious meals providedPoor nutrition in family diet9ILocal health care stations availablefor regular checkupsPreventable diseases commonin the community10JEducating mothers about healthy lifestylescall to family, community and participation COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT: HAITI 2015 Catholic Relief services. All Rights Reserved.US15967