As children in the area head back to the classroom this month, families are gearing up for the new school year and purchasing school supplies.

However, not all children have the means to acquire the necessary supplies. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated problem. Many children around the globe do not have access to much-needed school supplies.

Last spring, Betty Walter, a geology major at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, learned about the Kliptown Youth Program (KYP) in South Africa. Walter, who is a graduate of John Marshall High School in Rochester, had just been accepted into a study abroad program at Stellenbosch University, about 40 miles outside of Cape Town. The advisors of her study abroad program shared with Betty the needs of the school children in Kliptown, a community outside of Johannesburg with vast levels of poverty and an unemployment rate of over 70 percent.

"The KYP is an after-school educational program which provides opportunities for children to break the poverty cycle," Walter said.

Hearing this, Walter was inspired to make a difference and raise money for KYP. Enlisting the help of friends, she set up three brat stands in Eau Claire with proceeds going toward school supplies for the youth program. With a food donation from her professor Brian Mahoney and friends grilling up brats, Walter raised more than $1,600 for KYP.

"We had customers just donating money and not even buying a brat," she said. "Simply talking about the program with people had them so fired up … it felt more like a gathering of friends for a good cause."

Growing up in Rochester, Walter said, "I was given the opportunities to join school sports, academic and volunteer opportunities." But in South Africa, "not all students are given the same opportunities as in Rochester," she said.

Rarely do people have the opportunity to see the impact of their work when supporting an overseas organization. However, Walter landed in Cape Town on July 13. While she will not head to Kliptown until December, she is eager to see "the implications of our donations" and is "excited to meet the children who we are helping." Meanwhile, she hopes to get involved with community service programs through Stellenbosch University.

Walter plans to continue fundraising and raising awareness for the youth of Kliptown when she returns to the UW-Eau Claire campus next semester.

"We should never assume a student has the same at-home support or economic means as others," she said. "It all begins by helping each other and helping your neighbor."

Steps to a scouting award

Last week 18-year-old Joshua Gisi,of Oronoco, became the first Minnesotan to earn the Trail Life USA Freedom Award. Upon learning of this significant status, Joshua modestly said, "I did not know this going into the board of review, and it was a pleasant surprise."

Trail Life is a "faith-based non-aligned scouting organization providing youth mentorship and character development." Trail Life USA has more than 26,000 members nationwide, with two troops in Rochester. Joshua has been a member since its inception in 2013.

Trail Life USA has provided Joshua with experiences from leadership to outdoor pursuits. One highlight from his time as a "Trail Man" was a seven-day backpack trip climbing Cloud Peak in Wyoming. He described it as a week "full of fishing, cribbage, and adventure."

Another significant component of Trail Life is service. Joshua has spent the last four years working at the Oronoco Food Shelf at the Oronoco Presbyterian Church. Some days he helped the elderly carry heavy food to their cars; on other days, he transported food into the lower level of the church. Having spent time as a volunteer, Joshua recognized the need to improve the system which brought food down the stairs.

Out of Joshua’s awareness grew his Freedom Award project. He studied the situation and built a fold-away roller table down an unused stairway to simplify the process. Probably the greatest time was spent planning, he said.

"My final binder was 113 pages long," he said. "Once the plan was written, the execution went smoothly. The roller table effectively and efficiently transports boxes from the delivery truck to the storage room."

Joshua’s efforts truly impacted the volunteers ("the really nice people that help out there," he said), which in turn makes a difference in the lives of those visiting the food shelf.