December 7, 2010
By MATT KIEFER mkiefer@pioneerlocal.com
Charity work is nothing new for the Wismer sisters of Deerfield.
Fifteen-year-old Danielle Wismer has traveled to New Orleans to put up homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina. She traveled to Kentucky to help rebuild a church for an elderly congregation.
At age 15, Danielle Wismer (right) already has an impressive record of charity work. Photo courtesy of Lauren Wismer
Seventeen-year-old Kristin Wismer joined her sister for a trip to Minnesota, where they volunteered at a homeless shelter and orphanage, serving up meals in a soup kitchen and restocking the food pantry.
Perhaps their greatest impact will come this holiday season, though, when the two Deerfield High School students spend their break flying halfway around the world to give aid to a group of orphans in Myanmar.
The girls are traveling with a nine-member team to the Southeast Asian country, bringing resources and supplies to help out 1,800 children. They leave Christmas morning.
"I was sad that we're missing Christmas and leaving Christmas morning," Danielle said. "But it's definitely worth it for what we're doing."
"The way we're going to be impacting the children, it doesn't even compare to Christmas," Kristin said. "These children are going to be so happy to see us. These kids are so excited that just giving them a hug will help these children."
Danielle and Kristin are working with Montonera International, a nonprofit volunteer group run out of Harvest Bible Chapel in Lake Zurich. The agency focuses on bringing aid to Myanmar (formerly called Burma), where poverty, strife and tsunami have devastated the population.
Volunteers plan to bring 100 pounds of supplies per person, including school supplies, candy, bandages, medicine and clothing.
"We're meeting the needs. We're bringing happiness to the kids," said Lake Zurich resident Ray Montonera, who runs the program.
Kristin and Danielle expect to spend much of their time interacting with the children: reading to them, tutoring, making crafts or playing drums.
"We play with the kids all day, just give them joy," Danielle said. "They don't have that. They don't have people to be around them."
Kristin described the trip as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to see how different life in Deerfield is from other parts of the world. An aspiring special education teacher, the high school senior's favorite class is child development.
Both sisters work at the after-school program at Wilmot Elementary School, as summer camp counselors, and as Sunday school teachers at Community Christian Church in Lincolnshire.
Danielle, a sophomore, wants to join the Peace Corps someday.
"We're basically giving them a different view of the world," said Montonera, who has organized annual trips to Southeast Asia for the past 11 years. "We spend a lot of time educating people about other cultures. We spend time preparing them and helping them have a passion for the people and the culture so they're not going unprepared. Overall, it is a very intense cultural experience."
The girls' mother, Lauren Wismer, pointed out her daughters are sacrificing a lot to go on the trip. In addition to leaving in the middle of the holiday, they will miss a week of school in January. Kristin will be abroad on her 18th birthday. But she understands why volunteers decide to go: because of the children.
"They basically can't help themselves. They have to go back year after year to help this mission," she said. "They're really trying to help these kids make a better life for themselves."
Danielle and Kristin must raise $2,600 each to pay their way. Donations can be sent to Harvest Bible Chapel, 830 W. Route 22, No. 149, Lake Zurich IL 60047. The girls' names should be included on a separate note.
For more information, visit Montonera.com.
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