Welcome to the 20th Anniversary celebration of Dreams for Kids! It is hard to believe our first outreach, a visit to a tiny room inside Clara�s House Shelter in Chicago, was nearly twenty years ago! The years have rolled by and we have been blessed by over 27,000 kids and many thousands of volunteers. If you have been part of the team � thank you! If this is your first visit, welcome to dreams come true!

Today, we live in the most challenging time in history. The recent global economic crisis has affected everyone. Even those who enjoy prosperity have found these times to be stressful and uncertain. It is in such times that every person can relate to those who suffer the most. In our own suffering, we become connected to people in desperate need.

In industrialized nations, those who have had little, now find themselves barely surviving. Homes and savings are being lost in record numbers. Many people are without a job. I read today that thousands of people in the United States are choosing to ignore medical treatment for lack of funds and inability to get to the doctor.

Imagine what it must be like for children. At a time when our children hope for security and safety, they are surrounded by uncertainly and fear.

In developing countries, the crisis has caused an already desperate situation to become deadly. Children are dying every 2 seconds.

This may be the historic moment which unites us. I am confident that it is. In our relatedness, our connection today will give us the opportunity to reach out and make a difference in ways which will transform the world. If all of us joined together in service to each other, our world would never again be the same.

What will the world look like ten years from now? It is certain it will look nothing like it does now. As we rebuild our economy and our lives, we can use this opportunity to build a foundation of generosity, compassion and understanding.

Consider the possibility that every single person spent one hour each week involved in a cause which stirs their passion. What if all of us contributed our time and/or our resources- a single hour�s worth- to make difference in the lives of others? Poverty would end. World hunger would be over. Every child would have access to basic education. Hundreds of millions of lives would be saved. All children with physical and developmental challenges would be part of the same world as their peers. The environment would be sustained.

This is the pure magic of collaboration and contribution. I am convinced we have reached the time in history when individuals will step forward and reach out to others like never before, and businesses and nonprofit organizations will cooperate, instead of compete, with one another. This contribution by individuals and collaboration by industry will bring the greatest change in the history of the world.

In the center of it all is our youth. This is the generation we have been waiting for and they know it. They are ready to lead and anxious to begin.

Will you join us as we create a movement of compassion, generosity and social engagement? Let us unite in a way the world has never seen.

Visit our new state of the art social networking site and become part of the Dreams for Kids team today!