Cars or Compassion?

An interesting article about priorities.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 24, 2008—The ads may try to convince us that to make the holidays truly special you need a shiny, new Lexus parked in the driveway on Christmas morning, wrapped with a bright, red bow. But Corona business owner Mike Foster says he would rather keep his 15-year-old clunker and share the extra cash with kids in need.

In 2006, Mike Foster traded his luxury sports car for a 1993 Toyota Camry he affectionately calls the "Green Gremlin," allowing him to use the $600 a month savings to help rescue children from poverty through Compassion International.

"I was driving a really nice vehicle but realized there had to be more to life than feeding my ego by cruising around in a fancy sports car," said Foster. "So I decided to live with less so I could give more. My family has been sponsoring four children through Compassion International for two years and I really believe in the great work it does to help kids in need."

Upping his giving by downgrading his car felt so good that Foster invited friends to do the same - starting what he calls the Junky Car Club. It may sound like a tough sell but the Junky Car Club now boasts more than 3,000 members around the world, including Compassion International President and CEO Dr. Wesley Stafford, who proudly has commuted in a rusty, old Jeep for years.

Foster asks the club's members to join him in sponsoring children who are living in extreme poverty or give to any charity important to them.

"Mike Foster is a great example of how everyone can be part of a cause that helps children, not just during the Christmas season, but all year," said Mark Hanlon, senior vice president of Compassion International. "Of one billion people currently living in abject poverty, more than half are children."

Compassion International works with 4,800 local churches in 25 countries to provide more than 1 million children living in poverty with life-changing developmental opportunities. Through three distinct programs - infant survival, one-to-one child sponsorships and leadership development for high school graduates - Compassion gives children a hope for the future and a better life. Compassion International is committed to rescuing children from poverty, not merely sustaining them through it.

Compassion International is one of the world's largest holistic child-development organizations, addressing the physical, social, economic and spiritual needs of children in poverty. Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator, has awarded Compassion International seven consecutive four-star ratings. [SDG - JS]