It Really Is Better to Give Than To Receive
Chicago 2017, BTF Youth
Have you heard the adage “It’s better to give than to receive?” This is a lesson that one suburban Chicago middle school girl has taken to heart following an outstanding and eye-opening experience as part of her first philanthropic effort.
Imagine, an eighth grader hearing about kids in the country where her parents were born that didn’t have the same privileges and access to books or an education as she did, and then launching a fundraiser with the help of her mother and cousin. She planned a way in which to help kids a world away, because they felt it was the right thing to do, and it touched their hearts that not everyone had the same ability to be educated and taught as they were, here in the suburbs of Chicago.
So, Lara Haciosmanoglu started a project with Bridge to Turkiye Fund, chose a way to raise funds, and set out to make a difference. And, that she did, creating a campaign to make bracelets featuring the Turkish “nazar,” or evil eye, essentially a good luck charm, to exchange for donations at her middle school during lunch time. The kids at the school were eager to help and all the bracelets were gone the first day, demanding the creation of more. The goal was met, to raise as many donations as possible to send books to underserved children in Turkey through Bridge to Turkiye Fund, an organization that they had researched and decided they wanted to help, via this fundraiser.
Again, imagine, a middle school girl implementing and organizing a fundraiser on her own, raising enough to send 135 books to children in Urfa, Turkey, a small village in southeastern Turkey, and allowing Lara to see just how great it feels to give to others.
This is how it can be- building those bridges from culture to culture, from country to country, from person to person. This is a shining example of the goodness and kindness of the human spirit. Thank you, Lara, and your outstanding group of young women for showing all of us the way, and for reminding us why we do what we do. Bravo!
CHANGE STARTS WITH EDUCATED CHILDREN!
Bridge to Türkiye Fund is a UN Accredited NGO
Bridge to Türkiye Fund (BTF) is a US based, volunteer run, charitable non-profit, 501©(3) organization.
