Most parents want their children to be happy and successful throughout their lives. Unfortunately, the mainstre culture in western society has defined happiness and success by the ount of material goods an individual possesses, or is capable of purchasing. Parents’ buy the latest video ges, I-Pods, and cell phones to create happiness for their children. Filies take vacations and buy fily passes to theme parks to be happy. Successful movie and rock stars show our children the glour of hedonism by indulging in designer clothing, alcohol and drugs. While these material possessions and experiences may create temporary or artificial happiness, solely teaching our children to be self indulgent is not the answer to developing our children into successful and honorable leaders. BMW 750 BMW 760 Although I only one person, there are steps that I can take to make the world a better place, one footprint at a time. I can teach my grandchildren to appreciate the gift of being born in the United States with parents who can provide them the luxury of plentiful food, clothing and education; I can teach them that most children in the world live in filies struggling to find enough to eat and clean water to drink; I can bring them to meet those who are poor, disabled, and sick so they will know the real identities of the less fortunate children whose faces they see in photographs, and I can develop my grandchildren’s compassion so that throughout their lives they will reach out to those who need them. Global Volunteers has provided one avenue for me to accomplish these goals.