This time Shawna Sammons taking on another kind of pet

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

Shawna Sammons is hoping her second mission project is as successful as her first, though this year she?s raising money for another kind of pet.

Last year, the Mt. Pleasant eighth grader raised money to send a Personal Energy Transportation (PET), a hand-cranked wheelchair, to foreign countries to aid people who have lost the use of their legs due to birth defects, accidents or disease. She hoped to raise enough money for two PETs; she ended up with 13.

?I didn?t think I would get that much, and everybody just stepped up, and that went to help a lot of people,? said Sammons. ?I think that is amazing, and it shows me that people like to help those in need if they?re given the opportunity to do so.?

Taking inspiration from her mission project last year, Sammons chose to help others in a whole new way by raising money for Heifer International, an organization that provides animals to the needy in 125 countries, including the United States.

?One of the quotes (from Heifer International) that I really like is, ?Not a hand out but a hand up,? because it teaches people how to learn responsibilities and they can just do so much with it, and the children, if they learn how to take care of them, that will help in the future and with they money they can go to school and be able to do more things,? said Sammons. ?If they get a cow, they can milk it and they can use the milk for themselves and make things with the milk, or they could sell the milk to a neighbor to make money.?

Sammons said that her church, Trenton United Methodist Church, has always done a bit of work with Heifer International, and since there were a lot of farmers in this area, she thought it would be a good project. She presented the project idea to the church, and like last year, the church has agreed to match whatever funds she raises.

There are many kinds of animals available through Heifer International, but Sammons has decided to focus on raising money for farm animals.

?Since we?re in a rural community, I decided I wanted to focus on raising money on farm animals, because there?s lots of animals to choose from,? said Sammons. Animals she would like to raise money for are heifers, water buffalo, llamas, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits and flocks of geese, ducks or chickens

Heifer International works with partner organizations within each of the countries to make sure that the animals go where the need is, and that families who receive them know how to take care of the animals and use their products. Everything from the animal ? milk, manure, eggs, meat ? can help the family.

The families also told to pass on the gift by giving the first-born animal to a neighbor and teaching that family how to care for it.

Sammons will be kicking off her project at the Trenton United Methodist Church?s ice cream social on Sunday, July 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Sunrise Room.