WVR Show 363 Holiday Special

Piece Description

Dolls for Peace (5:47)

It’s the season of giving – and we’re not talking about stuff.  We’re talking about that other kind of giving – giving of time, resources and passion, to try and improve the world just a little bit.  So, on this week’s show we’re going to bring you a collection of our favorite stories about that kind of giving.  We start in Florida, in a place aptly named Sunrise.  Residents at the Springtree Assisted Living Facility came up with a project to improve the lives of children in Darfur.  As Judy Martin reports, they improved their own lives in the process.

50% League (5:15)

You’ve probably heard about the Giving Pledge. That’s the one where Warren Buffet and Bill Gates teamed up to ask other billionaires and millionaires to give 50% of their net worth to charity. So far, 40 people have signed on.  For many of them, this is a new endeavor.  Frank Butler has been giving away large amounts of money for years.  Frank and his wife, Ruth, live in a modest home in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He started out as an engineer for the Eastman Corporation and worked his way up to president. He’s earned a lot of money over the years, but he’s given a lot of it away. Frank doesn’t like to talk numbers, and he and his wife prefer to give anonymously. But he estimates they’ve given away about $2,000,000 so far. Here’s his story.

Made in Bethlehem (5:15)

The label says “Made in Bethlehem.”  It’s not a nativity scene or a Christmas ornament, but a tee shirt.  The shirt is the result of collaboration between a business in Bethlehem and one in Boston.

Here’s Rebecca Sheer with the story.

Kids to Kids (5:28)

In Boston, the World Vision report’s Cynthia Graber talked with a couple of young people who work to improve the lives of kids in developing countries.  Sarah Nuss and Julia Haney are co-founders of a group called Kids to Kids. They raise money for small grants to help fund sports, arts, and education programs overseas. They’re geared, they say, to help kids be kids.

The girls were in the first and third grade when they started this project. Both their parents had been working on medical missions in the Dominican Republic. 

Hotel with a Heart (6:00)

You’ve probably seen the commercials – the long white beaches of Jamaica, the sun setting on an idyllic scene.  And in the background, holiday resorts hosting appreciative tourists.  But not all of Jamaica is quite so beautiful.  Some of it has grinding poverty and crime.  The resort company Sandals is trying to bring the two worlds together. From the village of Whitehouse, Jamaica, Judith Ritter reports on the hotel with a heart. 

Christmas Tree Vendor (3:37)

People buy Christmas trees all over the world at this time of year. In Lagos, Nigeria, you won’t find the trees for sale at tidy Christmas tree lots or in big nurseries.  The way to buy trees in Lagos, is from your car, when you’re stuck in traffic.  That’s where street vendors hawk them by the dozens. Richard Lough reports.

Cinderella (4:30)

Beauty shop owner Diane Stevens didn’t expect to go to Africa.  But when she saw photographs of women who’d been brutally treated during Sierra Leone’s civil war, she felt compelled to do something about it.  Here’s her story.

Fare Start (4:24)

TV cooking shows are really popular.  And right now, there are lots of programs about how to cook turkey or bake perfect Christmas cookies.  But for some people, learning basic kitchen skills is more important than learning how to ice a Christmas cake – especially for those in the kitchen of the Fare Start restaurant in Seattle.  Cynthia Graber reports.

Fantasy Kingdom (3:00)

For lots of kids, a visit to an amusement park is the best gift of all.  But not every child has that kind of opportunity.  It costs nearly $70 for one child to go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

$70 admits 20 children to Fantasy Kingdom near Dhaka, Bangladesh.  So when writer Kelsey Timmerman was there a while back, he had an idea.

:30 PROMO FOR THIS SHOW:

            It’s all about giving this week on the World Vision Report – giving time, talents, and resources to help others around the world.

            From dolls going to Darfur to taking kids to a theme park in Bangladesh, there are millions of people who make life better for others.

            You may have heard some of these stories before on the World Vision Report, but they’re worth hearing again.

            They’re all wrapped and ready to go for Christmas – on the World Vision Report.

(ADD DATE AND TIME OF BROADCAST AND LOCAL STATION I.D.)

0:00 - 0:59 - Billboard
1:00 - 5:59 - No Audio
6:00 - 6:29 - Music Bed

Segment A
6:30 – Dolls for Sudan
12:58 – 50% League

19:00 - 19:59 - Music Bed

Segment B
20:00 – Made in Bethlehem
25:39 – Kids to Kids Interview

31:44 – Hotel with a Heart

39:00 - 39:59 - Music Bed

Segment C
40:00 – Christmas Tree Vendor  
44:20- Cinderella
48:51 – Fare Start

53:48 – Fantasy Kingdom
58:59 - End