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| Moore with a Peruvian child during her semester abroad in fall 2008. |
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Samantha Moore, a rising senior at Transylvania University, is spending part of her summer helping children in Lexington and abroad in Belize.
A sociology major and Spanish minor from Cadiz, Ky., Moore recently spent a week volunteering at the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington’s Camp Haven, a free camp for children ages 7-12 whose parents are incarcerated.
“The camp fosters a safe environment for the children to express themselves through artwork and guided focus groups,” Moore explains.“Having this unique shared experience removes any fear of being ‘different’ and lets kids just be kids.”
Moore will spend the month of August in Belize, where she will live at Liberty Farm, an organic farm that is part of the Liberty Foundation, a residential facility for abused, neglected and abandoned children. The farm is a member of World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farming (WWOOF), an organization that helps people share more sustainable ways of living. WWOOF connects volunteers with organic farms around the world that will host the volunteers and provide lodging and meals in exchange for working on the farm. Moore will learn a variety of skills including sustainable farming practices and carpentry.
Liberty Farm provides food for the orphanage and sells produce to help fund the orphanage. Volunteers on the farm will also have opportunities to volunteer at the orphanage and work with the children.
Moore was awarded a stipend to fund her trip to Belize through the Lilly Project Internship Program, a part of the Lilly Project at Transylvania, a cross-disciplinary program that encourages students to understand their future work in terms of vocation. The Lilly Project Internship Programs awards qualified students a stipend that gives them the opportunity to explore their likely vocation in an appropriate setting.