Christ said that when we feed and clothe one of “the least of these” we are doing these things for him. The Church’s preferential option for the poor cannot be negotiated. One of the best ways to teach our children about this central aspect of our faith is through sponsorship of a child or elderly person. Two Catholic organizations offer this opportunity: Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (through which our parish sponsors a child) and Ave Maria Missions. The children we have sponsored have become like members of our family. We recieve photos and letters and these have helped shape the ways our children learn to see Jesus in the “the least of these.”