I helped raise funds by setting up a silent auction and 5k run to provide underprivileged high school students with college money to be able to attend college. This takes months to prepare. It's so rewarding as years later we receive videos sharing how they are now doctors or registered nurses, or attorneys. I also began a program, Give a Gift, where people donate gifts, and they are dropped off at a hospital. Another mom posted on Facebook saying she wasn’t sure what she could do as she was a single mom of 3 kids and couldn’t afford Christmas. I called family and friends, and we were able to donate a Christmas tree and Christmas gifts directly to her apartment. She was in tears from shock and happiness, and she had no idea what I had started.
I grew up in a very poor household, one in which we barely ate meat because we couldn’t afford it. My father, when he was younger, had to quit school in second grade to work on the farm to provide for his siblings and mom. I wish someone back in the 50s could have helped him, as he was the man of the house at 7 years old. I always told myself that if I was able to help the homeless or more unfortunate, I was going to do it. It feels amazing to help people. Sometimes they just need a little break.
My biggest challenge in getting donations is helping people see that even small contributions, when combined, can change these kids' lives. What keeps me going is knowing that even though this is all time consuming, we are helping kids out of poverty one day at a time. I’ve met homeless people who literally were just in awful families because their family made terrible decisions, and it wasn’t their fault. Life is hard and if we could make it easier for them, then we as a community should help. My daughter this year said instead of receiving gifts this year, she wanted us to buy food with that money, and that’s what we plan on doing. Buying food and handing it out the week before Christmas to those in need.
I grew up in a very poor household, one in which we barely ate meat because we couldn’t afford it. My father, when he was younger, had to quit school in second grade to work on the farm to provide for his siblings and mom. I wish someone back in the 50s could have helped him, as he was the man of the house at 7 years old. I always told myself that if I was able to help the homeless or more unfortunate, I was going to do it. It feels amazing to help people. Sometimes they just need a little break.
My biggest challenge in getting donations is helping people see that even small contributions, when combined, can change these kids' lives. What keeps me going is knowing that even though this is all time consuming, we are helping kids out of poverty one day at a time. I’ve met homeless people who literally were just in awful families because their family made terrible decisions, and it wasn’t their fault. Life is hard and if we could make it easier for them, then we as a community should help. My daughter this year said instead of receiving gifts this year, she wanted us to buy food with that money, and that’s what we plan on doing. Buying food and handing it out the week before Christmas to those in need.