Earlier this month, I showed up at Helping Hand, a food and clothing pantry in Little Rock, to join in a food drive initiated by Arkansas Children’s Hospital and to be a part of a discussion on social justice with a group of young people from Youth Crossroads in Chicago who were visiting Arkansas to learn more about food insecurity. It was an amazing experience, in large part due to the people I got to know while I was there. One of these people was Genny Batcheller.
Genny is 17 years old and is going into her senior year at Central High School. She has been volunteering at Helping Hand for the past 4 years, working on the weekends during the school year and several days a week through the summer. Two years ago, Genny wanted to do something special for Gayle Priddy, the executive director who was retiring at the time. She found out that Helping Hand needed a new scale to weigh food as well as a new awning to go over their front door. So, Genny decided that she would work to raise money for these much-needed items. She spoke to a friend of her mother’s, Miss Valerie, who is a mentor for local artists. Valerie designed a beautiful image of two hands reaching out to one another, symbolic of the work being done at Helping Hand. Genny learned how to print this image on tote bags and began advertising that these bags would be gifted to people who made a $20 donation. Genny has already given out over 300 bags. It didn’t take long at all for her to raise the funds necessary to purchase the scale and the awning. In the process, Genny constructed a website for her fundraising called gennyink.com. where tote bags are still available.
In addition to taking classes at Central, Genny is also on the debate team and a member of the Little Rock Central High Young Lawyer Club. She hopes to become an attorney and go into the area of Public Policy. Genny
There are times when I become discouraged about the state of our world and the lack of concern shown for our fellow humans. Visiting Helping Hand and getting to know Genny Batcheller gave me hope. She is a beautiful example of the young people who are standing up and doing whatever necessary to make our world a better place. She understands that without justice for all, there can be no peace, so she is doing her part to reach out a helping hand to her neighbor. I hope we can all follow Genny’s lead and do one thing that makes a difference in the life of another person. Imagine what could be accomplished if we all carried out these small acts of love.
Sherry Simon
Pax Christi Little Rock 