This post is part of the Global Moms Relay. Every time you share this post, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 (per action), up to $300,000, to four causes helping improve the health and wellbeing of moms and kids worldwide: MAMA, Shot@Life, U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Girl Up. Scroll to the bottom to find out more.
The world I want for all families across the globe in 2030 is one that will resonate peace, happiness and good health. Above all, I want a world where adults will give and educate and empower a human vessel for change. It is my hope that all children around the world be given the opportunity to thrive and be healthy adults, with the possibilities if they desire to have children of their own, to be a member of their community who in turn raises a new generation of gracious little ones, and so forth.
Families ask me frequently, "Nanny Jo, how do I instill good morals and values? How can I teach them to give back? How can I encourage them to make a difference?" Teaching children the importance of giving back and serving their community is an essential life skill I believe, which can be very empowering. Looking beyond ourselves to how we can serve others is the biggest gift we can offer. We as families are raising the next generation -- in 2030, these children will be leading our world!
Talking to your children about what they love, their passions and interests is the start of connecting them with an issue that they can engage with on a personal level; this most importantly encourages longevity and accountability. Many of the volunteers I meet with in my role as Global Advocate for the United Nations Foundation's Shot@Life campaign engage their children in fundraising or take them to meetings with their Members of Congress because they are passionate about helping children around the world, and their own kids see that passion and become inspired to get involved, too. Indeed there is no better way to show giving back than to be the example.
Older children have the ability to see the larger ongoing projects that may happen at school or college. Everything is a possibility, and thinking big brings us nearer to it. Shot@Life works alongside many college campuses around the country to raise money and advocate for global childhood immunizations. A college in Chicago just raised more than $5,000 for Shot@Life as part of a marketing course. Imagination is the possibility of all that could be.
Our children need our encouragement, they need the fuel of our enthusiasm, and our time when guiding the budding activists within them. We as family make the biggest impression for molding those who will lead our society in 2030. I believe in change-makers and guardians of peace, and I believe together we can create a world where all children have a shot at making a difference in this world.
You share, they give: Each time you 'like' or share this post via the social media icons on this post or comment below, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 (per action) up to $300,000, to improve the health and wellbeing of moms and kids worldwide through MAMA, Shot@Life, U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Girl Up. $1 provides 1 life-saving measles vaccine for a child in the Philippines through Shot@Life.
You can also use the Donate A Photo* app and Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 when you upload a photo for Girl Up or UNICEF, up to $100,000. You can help make a difference in seconds with the click of your mouse or snap of your smart phone. Share this post with the hashtag #GlobalMoms, and visit GlobalMomsRelay.org to learn more. The United Nations Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, BabyCenter and The Huffington Post created the Global Moms Relay with a goal of improving the lives of women and children around the globe.
* via the Donate A Photo app for iOS and Android. Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn't reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.