Grace Review | Meet
Chandradasa | Poverty is the Worst
Form of Violence | Volunteer
Profile
Volunteer
Profile
Name: Ernie Roide
Occupation: Salesman
Age: 48
Favorite Activities: Spending time playing
and learning from my four children. I try to teach them about
social justice work and they teach me what really matters in
my life … what will be around in 20 billion years.
Favorite Quote: “Our lives begin
to end the day we become silent about things that matter...”
Martin
Luther King Jr.
Sign: Capricorn and a 5 on the Enneagram.
Biggest Bummer: That it took 42 years
before I realized you can't serve two masters; you can't serve
your country and your God together. One must make a conscious
choice between the two, between power and powerlessness. Rarely
are the two on same side of economic and social justice issues.
How did you first become involved with VeAhavta? I
had this crazy guy named Eric call my office in 2001 asking if
I could do 1,000 magnets and 100 coffee cups in a hurry, for
a meeting in New York with a bunch of doctors. We did these for
him and I met Eric in person a few days later. After learning
more about VeAhavta, I soon became a sponsor for a young girl
at the orphanage. I was taken by Eric’s approach to this
orphanage where all four religions in Sri Lanka were respected
and honored, and that the most important part of his mission
was simply to help 100 girls have a home and be cared for. There
was no push to convert them over to any theology/ideology; he
simply let his actions speak for his faith. I have come to the
conclusion that it will only be through interfaith relationships – that
work together on solutions – that we can begin to solve
the problems of the poor and marginalized of this world. VeAhavta
is a perfect example of this.
Please review your contributions so far: It
is hard to think of my contributions in the same light as those
who have traveled the long journey to the orphanage, given time
in sacrifice, risked their safety and comfort, to become part
of that community by sharing their gifts with the people of Sri
Lanka. Now I see, by the power of technology, the faces of the
girls when they get a t-shirt or backpack and it brings me closer
to the community. I have also had the opportunity to provide
materials for Mercy Home – a metal sign for the building,
some polo shirts for the staff – small things but part
of a process where many little things add up. I suggested to
Eric last year to have some of the older girls at Grace Home
design artwork for a shirt that I would print and send back for
them to wear. They developed a design with flowers and the words, ‘Peace
on Earth.’ On Eric’s next trip he took these shirts
to all the girls at the orphanage and all the kids at the day
care center. This past year, my family became a sponsor at Mercy
Home, and we became involved with the letter-writing, sending
hand made pictures by my children and photos of our family to
our sponsored friend which helped open a dialogue and connect
us to that community. It has taught my children about the need
to die with dignity and welcome death as more than just sadness
and sorry … valuable life lessons.
What other plans do you have for donations? Being
in the promotional industry, I have access to a wide range of
products, so my options for giving donations are wide. I would
like to get the girls something that would help them with their
daily school routine, maybe a wristwatch or a school pen-and-pencil
set. There is also an idea to put together a VeAhavta calendar
for 2008 that would be used to raise money. Eric and I are working
on turning this into reality, and plan to include a new picture
every month of the people at Grace Care Center and Mercy Home.
There is a special bond that develops within the community when
we can give something beyond just money. I encourage those who
are VeAhavta supporters to think about how the relationships
within their family and business might work to secure gifts at
or below market value (or even free) for VeAhavta. Of course,
any gift would have to be approved by Eric and Diane, but I suspect
there are some real good ideas out there!
Any Additional Thoughts: It is easy to become
numb to all the suffering we see every day in the world. We have
reached a point of information overload, where so much information
is being thrown at us daily from new avenues that technology
has made possible. We are witness to vivid graphics today of
war, murder, gang violence, genocide, etc., that we begin to “tune
out” the tremendous suffering going on in the world. Suffering
mainly by those who are poor and powerless to defend themselves.
So we become silent. I want to encourage everyone to make an
effort to give back to those who are less fortunate, whether
it is a distressed neighbor, the homeless person down the street,
or the child who may be thousands of miles away. If we all did
a little a lot would change. Never feel like you can’t
make a difference, one small act of kindness can start a chain
reaction.
Grace
Review | Meet Chandradasa | Poverty
is the Worst Form of Violence | Volunteer Profile
