The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by the New Canaan Racquet Club.
Children at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church raised enough money this spring to purchase dozens of bicycles for people in rural African communities.
Created around Lent, the project was led by the church’s children’s ministry as part of its annual giving efforts in collaboration with Episcopal Relief & Development’s “Gifts for Life” program.
Bicycles for volunteers in Zambia who are connected to the St. Mark’s program. Contributed
Church leaders said the giving component of Lent was used to connect children’s interest in bicycles with the fundraiser’s goal of providing transportation to impoverished communities.
“The season of Lent in church is a time for people to take stock and recenter ourselves on the basics of the Gospel, like giving, fasting and praying,” the Rev. Elizabeth Garnsey said. “In giving, under the category, we always offer lots of ways for people to kind of get involved in charity.”
The church’s director of children’s ministry, Jan Maynes, conceived of the idea through the national program, which allows donors to contribute toward items for communities in need.
Garnsey said, “People here love bikes and our kids love bicycles. So she thought it would be fun to raise money to buy bicycles through Episcopal Relief & Development for rural communities in Africa.”
New Canaan Bicycles also donated a bicycle at cost, she said. As donations came in, the bicycle was assembled in the church hallway so parishioners and students could watch it come together.
“The bike came together and it was fun,” Garnsey said. “We raised enough money for 35 bicycles.”
Funds were sent to Episcopal Relief & Development, which distributes bicycles through its international relief programs.
“They have a program in place where they provide the bikes for these villages,” Garnsey said.
Garnsey said the project helped kids understand how something as simple as a bicycle can help daily life in rural communities by making it easier to travel for water, food, school and work.
“A bike solves quite a bit of life logistics for them,” she said. “They can transport goods, get to school and move from place to place.”
Henry Daniels, a 13-year-old who helped present the fundraiser to the congregation, said the project made him realize how fortunate he is and the importance of transportation in other parts of the world.
“What I learned by doing this project is that not everyone is as lucky as I am,” Daniels said. “I live in a very nice town with quick access to water and stores, and not everyone has the same fortunes as me. One bicycle could entirely change how a person gets water, food and how they get around.”
After taking part in the fundraiser, Daniels said he was filled with a sense of pride.
“It feels really good to help people, even people I don’t know,” he said. “It felt good to know that people were getting what they needed.”
Garnsey said the project helped both children and adults reflect on global need and charitable giving.
“I think they learn that we’re all part of a big world and there’s need around the world,” she said. “They learn that a little bit can go a very long way to help people in need.”