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Last Updated 19 January, 2008 The old man awoke just before sunrise, as he often did, to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As he moved through the morning dawn, he focused on a faint, far away motion. He saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin. As he approached, he realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea. He asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back into the sea." As the youth explained, the old man surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond eyesight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear and the old man countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference." The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to the old man, he said, "I made a difference to that one." Author Unknown After visiting Haiti, I can assure you that poverty is an incredible problem, much larger than any of us can handle, or even comprehend. It is easy to fall into despair and believe that there is nothing we can do but let them die. The fact is, however, that there is plenty we can do. We can make a difference to one, and that one can make a difference to another. By saving the "starfish" of the world, we can make a real and tangible difference. We can make the world a better place, one person at a time. Our parish adopted The Starfish Project as our Lenten sacrifice in the first year of the new millennium, and we will continue it this year. Our pastor, Rev. Thomas Bouterie, asked each family to sacrifice at least $20, enough to save one Starfish, during the 40 days of Lent. We hung fishing nets on the walls and hung a paper "starfish" on the nets for each $20 that was contributed, and after each weekend service he announced the total number of dollars raised and needed, and the number of "starfish" saved and remaining, as of that moment. The goal for our parish was $20,000. In 2002, we raised our goal to $25,000. I'm happy to report that we exceeded our goal by around 15%, raising a total of $23,000 in 2001 and $28,000 in 2002. The area Catholic high schools also participated, and Father Bouterie's personal fundraising efforts, combined for a total of $75,000 in funds for Food For The Poor in 2001. We were joined by three other parishes and the high schools in 2002, and our efforts contributed another $110,000 to the cause. The Christophers (a Catholic religious organization) used to end their Sunday morning broadcasts with the phrase "It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness." You can help to light a candle in the darkness of poverty in the Third World by contributing to our efforts to build a technical school in Coq Chante, Haiti, (see "How To Help") or by sponsoring The Starfish Project in your church, school, or other organization. Contact me and I'll put you in touch with the proper people. At the conclusion of our 2002 drive, the project is fully funded and construction of the school is ready to begin. Watch for pictures! And you can help in many ways. Food for the Poor recycles empty ink jet cartridges, with each one earning $2-$5 for the poor. Contact me and I'll tell you how you can donate your old cartridges to our project at St. Michel's Parish. If you ever get the chance to visit a place like Haiti (Food For The Poor offers several pilgrimages a year), do it. You'll not only get a chance to see what you cannot even imagine, but you'll also get to see that your contributions actually are making a difference. You'll see it in the eyes of the people you meet, and you'll hear it in their voices, and you'll feel it in their handshakes and their hugs. They are truly grateful. You'll come home with tears in your eyes and a lump in your throat ... and a smile on your face. You will be a different ... and a better ... person. Rick Luquette
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