Published: March 09, 2008 11:43 pm      

Q&A: Building homes half a world away

The plight of children in Liberia, Africa, may be lost on many people, but a small group of students at Tonawanda High School is well aware of the effects years of civil war have had on African children. These students have banded together to raise money for Children Concerned, a not-for-profit organization started by the Zackey family in Akron. Tom and Candy Zackey have nine birth children, plus nine they adopted from Africa. The Zackeys organize several trips to Liberia each year to build homes for orphans and families who have been torn apart.

Tonawanda senior Joshua Choate is one member of the group of Tonawanda students assisting Children Concerned in this cause. He joined LIBERIA — which stands for “Look Inside and Believe that Everyone can take Refuge In an African home” — through his girlfriend, Elisa Lorenz, who helped form it.

“The civil wars in Liberia have caused great distress among these people and (they) could use all the help they can possibly get,” Choate wrote in a letter to the Tonawanda News. “That’s why we are reaching out our hand to make a difference in this devastated place.”

Presently, there are about eight students involved in LIBERIA, with more taking an interest. Choate spoke about the LIBERIA group on Sunday by phone from Rochester, where he was cheering on wrestling teammate Kyle McGregor at the state meet.

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Q: What was the impetus for forming LIBERIA?

A: Through church at St. Francis of Assisi, we go every year to the Harvest House in Buffalo for a confirmation retreat. The Children Concerned — they travel to Liberia at least three times a year — came in and talked to us and they shared their life story.

They came in to talk to us about the things that are happening over there. It touched us, and that’s what really got us interested, and we’ve been talking to kids from Liberia. We’ve been sending letters and they’ve been responding. One kid sent me a necklace and a poster. It’s very different talking to them and hearing their life stories, too. Just being pen pals with these kids, we wanted to help in any way we could.

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Q: That has to be quite eye-opening for you guys to hear what these kids are going through.

A: It is. It kind of scares us in a way and that’s why we wanted to help them in building houses and keeping their families together.

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Q: How is LIBERIA helping?

A: When we talk to the next confirmation group at Harvest House, we actually plan on going there and presenting Children Concerned with a check to help them build houses. They’ve already built an orphanage and they have gotten plenty of kids adopted, but we’re building houses for families for the kids who are too old to stay in the orphanages.

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Q: Is this going to be an ongoing fundraiser?

A: As of right now, yes. We’re trying to really get bigger so we can turn it into more of an organization than just a fundraising group type of deal.

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Q: How can people in the community assist this cause?

A: They could help us out with the numerous fundraisers we do. We do bake sales (after each Mass April 20 and May 18 at St. Francis of Assisi), and we have a big dance coming up on April 26 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club, and that’s going to be open to any high school student. That’s going to be our biggest (fundraiser) of the year so far. It’s going to be $5 a kid or $7 a couple, and the dance’s theme is a ‘Sadie Hawkins,’ which means that the girls ask the guys to go. And, of course, we’re always looking for donations, too. We actually just reached our $1,000 goal this weekend at a bake sale at St. Francis of Assisi. So we’re able to build a house now with that thousand dollars.

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.