READING 2 Crafty Ways to Contribute

CRAFTYways to CONTRIBUTE

Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 8.3

Joyce Koenig was an artist who believed that it's important to help others. When she heard of a summer camp in Wisconsin for children with cancer, she came up with an idea. It costs money for these kids to go to camp, so Joyce decided to see what she could do to help. It was impossible for her to donate a lot of money, so she had to think of another way to help.

She wanted to combine her love of art and her desire to help others. So she started making and selling beautiful cards in order to raise money for these kids. Because these cards are all handmade, it was taking her a long time to make a lot of them. So Joyce had another idea. She started inviting friends to her house to help her make the cards. At first, her friends were hesitant1. Many said that they were not artistic and didn’t know how to make cards. But once they saw the beautiful materials that she had in her studio, her friends felt more comfortable designing, cutting, and pasting in order to make an original card.

But the materials were expensive. To make money without spending money, Joyce asked for and got donations of paper, glue, scissors, ribbon, and other supplies from nearby stores. She sold her cards for two dollars each at various art fairs during the year. Joyce raised more than $40,000 in her 20 years making cards—two dollars at a time.

1 hesitant: unsure

COMPREHENSION Based on the reading, write T for true or F for false.

1. Joyce used her love of art to find a way to make money for kids with cancer. 2. To produce a large number of cards, she needed the help of her friends. 3. At first, her friends were eager to help her.

THINK ABOUT IT Discuss the questions with a partner or in a small group.

1. Can you think of other small ways to raise money for good causes? Have you ever done this? Share your ideas. 2. What good causes do you support or would you like to support? Give your reasons.