Middle school adopts 'Sparrow'

Sisters Middle School students display their "caring cards." The students have adopted a new "Sparrow" who needs lots of long-term help. photo by Barbara Haynes Sisters Middle School Sparrow Club members got a start on their year's activities during interim week earlier this month. The 19 members met their "Sparrow," Samuel Shepardson, age four, of Sisters, and made a start on their community service projects.

Club advisor Barbara Haynes said the club members were very excited to have a local child become their Sparrow. Through the club, the students will help Samuel and his family deal with Samuel's medical needs.

Samuel is autistic, and requires constant supervision and special schooling.

Samuel's mom, Jacki, said, "It is an honor and a privilege for Samuel to be a sparrow. I thought it was only seriously ill children who qualified, but children with lifelong special needs also qualify."

Already students are lined up for play dates, keeping Samuel occupied while the Shepardsons pack for a move into a Habitat for Humanity home next month.

"I have never met a more wonderful group of kids," said Jacki. "Within minutes we had all fallen in love with them."

Samuel doesn't always warm to strangers immediately, but very soon after meeting the Sparrow Club kids, he was laughing and sitting on laps and having a wonderful time, she said.

Sparrow Clubs are a grass-roots organization, started in Central Oregon by Jeff Leland. When his son needed lifesaving medical treatment, the kids at his school rallied around and helped raise money.

And it wasn't just the financial support, but also the enthusiasm and love the kids showed toward the family that made a difference. The concept of kids helping kids is what makes the Sparrow Clubs work.

Each club has a community sponsor, usually a business, which pledges a certain amount of money.

This year's Sisters Middle School club sponsor is High Lakes Health Care in Sisters. The Sparrow Club members do community service projects and are "paid" in Sparrow dollars, which are vouchers to record what was done.

The kids note their hours worked, what the project entailed, and what helping the Sparrow means to them.

The students are "paid" at a rate of $10 per hour, with 256 combined hours as the sponsored goal.

The money raised from the sponsored community service projects goes to the family, as does money from any other fund-raising the club takes on.

Haynes said that the families of the club members see the vouchers and are often touched by the way their children react.

"It has a ripple effect that's neat," she said.

Haynes said the main fund-raiser for the Sisters Middle School Sparrow Club is the spring talent show.

For interim week, the Sparrow Club members made cards to send to active duty servicemen and women and spent a morning doing chores at Paws & Claws Pet Boarding. They raked leaves, and cleaned stalls for Martingale Equine Services, which is also located at Paws & Claws.

The club is not limited to the members who turned up during interim week, said Haynes.

There will be notices around the middle school and regular meetings during the school year.

Anyone with a heart for helping a child and his family in need is welcome to take part.

For more information on Sparrow Clubs USA, go to www.sparrowclubs.org.