After seeing an advertisement for Smiles Across America® (SAA) and Trident on TV, Beth Wise decided to find out more about the program for her work as Mission Director at Centennial Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kimberton, PA. Every few months she presents a different mission to the children who attend Sunday school at the church and they bring what they can every week to contribute to a donation.

“I’m always on the lookout for missions that I believe the children can really respond to and understand, even being so young, how they can really make a difference,” Beth explained. “I selected it because I thought it would be something they could absolutely relate to and they did. The really get excited when they can help kids.”

From January to March of this year, the group of 30 kids, ranging in ages from nursery school to sixth grade, raised money for SAA by doing extra chores, digging into their piggy banks, and asking others for donations. By the end of March, they had collected $200, which Beth said, “is like a $1 million, it’s such a big deal for them.”

“They just work so hard and this brings them so much pride. I love the fact that they do respond to this,” said Beth.

Find out more about SAA and why these children felt such a connection to it. If you would like to join Centennial Evangelical Lutheran Church and make a gift to OHA, you can do so by mail or through our secure site.