WHY WE STARTED KIDS GIVING BACK
Carole Schlessinger and Ruth Tofler-Riesel are co-directors of KIDS GIVING BACK. We both have young children and believe that one is never too young to help others. Volunteering with our own children, both locally as well as internationally, came out of a desire to enable our children to give to others not as privileged as themselves. We wanted to instill in them experiences which would teach them compassion from a young age.
This hands-on immersion in another culture allows our children to move beyond being onlookers, to actually experiencing a new culture. In doing so our children build bridges with children all over the world, and gain a greater appreciation of their own good fortune – hence our name: Kids Giving Back.
When we told our friends about our most recent volunteering experiences with our children, many expressed interest in participating with their own children, and that’s where the idea of Kids Giving Back was cemented.
Ruth and Carole are both veteran travellers who have lived and volunteered abroad. Between us we have 40 years experience in marketing, the travel industry, film production and teaching.
