My daughter's grandparents recently drove the seven hours from their home to mine to discuss her grades. "Drew, darling, we've come to scold you a little and love you a lot," they said. And then proceeded to ask her what she thought was going on, listen to her answers, and soon they all were dreaming out loud about her future, all the fun and wonderful things she could do if she would just "hunker down."

Drew is lucky. She has two sets of grandparents that love her fiercely. There are many others like her, who have been blessed by the love and care of grandparents. Perhaps, reader, you are one of these people. Youth is a precarious passage, and grandparents are often a sturdy bridge.

It comes as no surprise, then, that two generous Heifer International employees recently established an endowment at Heifer Foundation and named it "Grandma's Endowment" after women very dear to them. The endowment is earmarked to benefit Heifer's Youth-at-Risk initiatives. Thanks to Sue Bertrand and Alana Clegg, there is a new and permanent way to make a difference in the lives of children, children who perhaps weren't as lucky as you, or Drew, or my colleagues.

Sue's story is legend at Heifer. A one-time recipient of Heifer sheep, Sue has worked for the organization more than 10 years and currently serves as Vice President for Global Services, overseeing major initiatives such as gender equity, agroecology, and HIV/AIDS that cut across geographic boundaries, what she calls holistic development. Youth at Risk is one such initiative and one Sue believes must be addressed now. "This is a huge development issue facing the world. A growing number of children are at risk due to wars, AIDS, the sex trade…if we don't deal with this now, we'll be dealing with them in 10 years as adults."

Sue speaks of great success in youth projects from urban gardening in Chicago to pig and cattle projects in the Delta. Orphanage projects in multiple countries have brought self-esteem and a brighter future to hundreds of children and youth. She points out that, as a bonus, sometimes by working with children, Heifer reaches the adults. And Heifer's animals are a natural "in" with young people, she says.

Alana came to work for Heifer in 2000 and currently serves as liaison between the community relations office and regional offices. "Every child on the earth has some kind of risk factor; there is always that need…," she says, referring to programs that give kids some structure, guidance and life skills. "This endowment could sustain those activities, wherever they turn out to be." She adds that, in the end, the programs benefit not just the children, but the people they come in contact with, a sort of "passing on the gift", one of Heifer's core values.

We are indebted to Sue and Alana for creating an endowment that will speak to many.

Click below to contribute to "Grandma's Endowment."

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