Sample Speech # 1
Making
Dreams Reality
by Amber
Mixon
Amber Mixon delivered this informative speech to her
public speaking class at the
Did you know that 20 percent of children in the
However, even if people choose to ignore the hunger problem in our world, one organization has dared to bridge the gap between the impoverished and those unaware of these circumstances. That organization is Feed the Children. Though I don't volunteer often, I have been lucky enough to experience the fulfillment FTC workers experience every day when I volunteered once during Christmas for our church's annual Feed the Children stocking stuffing event.
Today, I would like to tell you about how FTC began, then discuss different outreach divisions that FTC has created, and finally inform you about ways you can contribute your time or money to make a difference. I will begin by sharing with you a quick overview of how Feed the Children began. I gathered most of the information about this organization from the Web site they have established, as well as by talking with several volunteers.
Feed the Children began with a simple “down-home
feeling” that has continued to thrive in the hearts of its workers throughout
its nearly twenty-year history. The founder, Larry Jones, first realized this
global hunger problem when he took a trip to
Today FTC has grown to an incredible size. The
organization now ministers to the needs of seventy-four countries, including
the
It is clear that through the perseverance and dedication of many individuals, this organization has met with success. To aid as many people as possible, Feed the Children has four separate divisions that respond to specific problems: feeding the impoverished, providing relief during emergencies, offering personal assistance, and providing medical assistance. By specializing how each division responds to problems, FTC is particularly effective in delivering the critical necessities people need at the time they most need them.
Of Feed the Children's four goals, the most well
known aspect of FTC is its overwhelming adeptness at distributing food and
necessity items. In 1996, FTC delivered sixty million pounds of food and supplies. Feed the Children has also proven its helpfulness in
delivering emergency aid. In the
Beyond providing emergency supplies and relief in
times of need, Feed the Children also attempts to solve long-term problems.
Feed the Children stands strong behind its belief that education helps reduce
poverty rates. Therefore, FTC created a program, called Hope for Kids, that provides essential learning tools for
Ultimately, Feed the Children meets needy people at
the source of their needs, be it hunger, emergency assistance, personal help,
or medical assistance. Running a large, global relief organization requires
tremendous effort from a lot of dedicated staff as well as volunteers. Feed the
Children encourages assistance from volunteers because it helps the
organization reach more needy people. On a financial level, Feed the Children
accepts tax-deductible donations, consisting of cash, new toys, new household
items, and so on. FTC also encourages community fund-raising projects such as
recycling, bake sales, and garage sales that generate funds for FTC programs.
People can also help out by donating time at their
As you can see, helping out this organization is not difficult at all. It could be as in-depth as spending a Saturday sorting food boxes, or as easy as putting a check in the mail. Now that we have taken an overall look at Feed the Children, I will conclude with a few final ideas.
Today, I began by presenting to you the history of the Feed the Children organization and how it is divided into four functional divisions—medical, personal self-help, food provision, and emergency relief. I also shared several ways in which people, even busy college students, can get involved in this organization. Reflecting back on what I said in my introduction, it's easy to see what a big difference even one dollar used by FTC can make to someone who lives on only one dollar a day. As FTC stated in a press release: “Feed the Children isn't just an organization—it's people helping people.”
Discussion Questions
1. What is the general purpose of this speech? What is its specific purpose?
2. How does Amber Mixon capture the audience's attention?
3. How does Mixon establish her credibility to speak on this topic?
4. Based on Mixon's use of a topical organizational pattern, identify her three main points.
5. How does Mixon make sure the audience follows and remembers her main points?