The Legion of Good Will Celebrates 31 Years of Operation in the United States
The ideal of the Legion of Good Will (LGW) expanded to the United States on October 30, 1986, and since then has offered various programs, educational and social projects to hundreds of low-income families in the states of New Jersey and New York. By having general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN), the LGW also has the opportunity to regularly attend meetings at its headquarters in New York, sharing their best practices with delegations and authorities Worldwide.
The first program developed by the LGW in the United States, 31 years ago, was the Charity Round. In a short time, the action was gaining great visibility and attracting dozens of volunteers. It currently benefits shelter residents in New Jersey, who receive clothing, food, and other necessities. Occasionally, health efforts are also offered, giving guidance and basic care, as well as words of comfort and encouragement to those who need it most.
"You make a huge difference in the lives of homeless families every month by distributing soups to our residents. It is a pleasure to see the happy faces of each of them, who receive the food prepared with so much love. You are an inspiration to our team and our program participants. (...) Thank you for creating lasting memories for the YMCA's homeless families, "said Victor Nicholson, then coordinator of the institution's activities in Newark.
Education for Peace
Good Will Students for Peace is a program that applies the educational proposal of the LGW, focused on the Pedagogy of Affection and the Ecumenical Citizen Pedagogy, which has contributed to the decrease of violence in American schools. Based on the guidelines of educator Paiva Netto, President of the Legion of Good Will, the program aims to encourage solidary leadership in students, guiding them towards a sustainable and peaceful society.
The Backpacks for Bright Future campaign, which distributes backpacks with school supplies to underprivileged children, is another action by the LGW in the USA to support students at the beginning of the school year.
The LGW and the UN
The LGW has the opportunity to participate permanently in discussions held by the United Nations in defense of human rights, gender equality and quality education for all. In these 20 years of work with the UN, the organization has recommended good practices in the areas of education, social assistance, humanitarian aid and sustainable development, which has attracted the interest of several international leaders.
Recently, the LGW was recognized with the "Spirit of the United Nations" Award during the week of Spirituality that is part of the United Nations Anniversary week. During the acceptance speech, the representative of the entity, Danilo Parmegiani, highlighted the vision of Paiva Netto regarding the promotion of education with ecumenical spirituality. "When reason is united to the heart (sentiment), fraternal solutions provide a life with the desired happiness, which can only be true when there is both material and spiritual food on everyone's table."
Helping in difficult times
In an effort to alleviate the suffering of families affected by Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria, the Legion of Good Will (LGW) mobilized people of good will in New York and New Jersey to bring school supplies to the children of these places, thus serving as an incentive in this new school year.
The institution was supported by Jetblue Airways, which transported the LGW team along with the material collected for donation. Backpacks with educational and school supplies were delivered to children in Houston (Texas) and Immokalee (Florida).
The action was part of the LGW's traditional school supplies campaign, Backpacks for a Bright Future, which collects and distributes educational materials to low-income children in Newark, New Jersey.
First school in the USA
The construction of the Paiva Netto Educational and Social Assistance Center, located in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey's largest city, is the LGW's newest challenge. Launched a few months ago, the project aims to serve families living below the poverty line, which in the region correspond to about 28%, almost triple the rate in the rest of the state and twice the country average, which is 14.9%. The unit will have a School of Early Childhood Education and also a Community Center for Social Assistance. Altogether, 1,300 families will be benefited annually.
Do you want to help Legion of Good Will to further expand this solidarity work? Go to now: www.lgw.org/donate.