| |
Hi, I'm Steve Young. I'm talking to you today because your visit to this
website shows you have an interest in Native Americans and a desire to help
them meet the challenges they face by providing them opportunities for
education. I've had some nice opportunities, which I appreciate. But I make
a clear distinction in my mind between those things that people tend to
cheer about at the moment and things of enduring significance. I'm
convinced that you and I have something very important in common. We both
want to reach out beyond our past areas of accomplishment. You and I want
to do something meaningful that benefits many people -- even whole
generations-- something that reaches way beyond our own lives and times.
|
|
| |
Native Americans are some of my friends. In the past 16 years I have come
to know many Native American people. These are people of dignity with a
proud heritage. Many of them live on reservations without access to
educational or vocational opportunities. Many have little more than the
most basic subsistence resources and they lack the skills to get good
jobs. In my travels, I've witnessed the very difficult circumstances under
which these people live. Without more skills, these people have little hope
of overcoming poverty and meeting their human potential.
|
|
| |
These are not ignorant people. These are people who have not had
opportunity, and education is the key that will open the door of
opportunity. Only when they are educated can they themselves provide the
goods and services they and their families need. The Indian people want
self-reliance. This lasting solution is found when the people themselves
are trained and educated to take care of their own needs.
|
|
|
| |
Compare the cost of an education to the cost of being unskilled. A college
degree costs several thousand dollars. But that is much less than the
societal and human cost of a lack of productive skills. Lack of education
not only costs the individual and their family, but society as well. Not
only does society lose what the individual would otherwise have
contributed, but society pays for the problems arising out of poverty and
despair.
|
|
| |
Education is a permanent solution. It opens the opportunity for productive
work that provides food for the family along with dignity for the soul.
Self-sufficient individuals, families, communities---that is what education
provides.
|
|
| |
This truly is the solution.
|
|
| |
We ask for your financial support in bringing these people the real and
lasting solution---an education that enables them to take care of
themselves. The best investment in humanity you can make is giving them an
education. Our donations make a real and enduring difference in many lives.
Please join with us in this important and rewarding work. Thank you.
|
|
.
|
