I Give Because I Know Our Roles Could Be Reversed
Ever since I was young, my parents — and especially my father — instilled in me the importance of giving back. After having spent some time homeless himself, he sees the less fortunate not as the “other,” but as kindred spirits.
My dad always encouraged me to be the person you would want to encounter if you were in an unfortunate situation.
Being the youngest of my siblings, and probably the youngest person at this roundtable, I hope to add a fresh perspective to this conversation about why I give.
Throughout my life, I have participated in more clothing and toy drives, fundraisers, and volunteering events than I can count. Twice a month, from when I was ten years old to the end of high school, my friends and I would prepare sandwiches for the homeless. I took part in this and other charitable activities mainly because everyone around me was doing it too.
As I have grown older, I have come to realize the importance of giving back. A single event — like a natural disaster, job loss or health emergency — can switch the roles between the contributor and the beneficiary. I met someone at a homeless shelter who, a month prior, was earning a six-figure salary. In one week, they were unexpectedly fired from their job and lost their family, home, and possessions in a fire.
Just remembering that story humbles me. It is why I give, and why I will continue to do so.
Growing up in New York City, I have heard horror stories about people playing on others’ heartstrings to collect monetary donations for nothing but pure greed. Though with some of those stories are regretfully true, we cannot allow the actions of a misguided few to define how we think about charity.
When I give, I use my resources other than my checkbook. For example, in 2014 I participated in DoSomething.org’s Teens for Jeans clothing drive, which collected jeans for young people around the country experiencing homelessness. I collected over 500 pairs of jeans without spending a dime, except for renting the moving van to transport the jeans. I was able to help individuals in need without having a second thought about any misallocation of resources.
I plan to leave this planet in a better state than it was when I was born into it twenty-five years ago. I’ll do it through personal actions. I’ll continue to have insightful conversations with people different from me, not just to sympathize with them, but to really listen and understand their lives. I’ll volunteer at after school programs, in the hopes of showing at least one child that they matter and that they have the power to improve the world. If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that it doesn’t cost anything to be a good person.
