‘Tis the Season to Give!

In honor of the upcoming “giving season”, I present to you the most charitable little boy ever. I saw this video today and was so blown away at the last wish by this 11 year old with lukemia and 2 weeks to live. He just wanted to feed the homeless. No meeting basketball stars, or rockstars, or anything superficial, just to feed the hungry. Serious, probably when I was 11 I would have rather met Shannon Miller or Kim Zmeskal (old school olympic gymnasts) than feed the hungry. Now try not to cry when you watch this video. (click this link to see the video) ?cl=10831031

It’s a great time of year to help the needy, but really any time is a good time, of course. I joined NY Cares non-profit organization a few months ago (www.nycares.org). They have lots of opportunities to serve in all kinds of capacities, such as painting inner city schools, singing for seniors, feeding homeless, teaching arts and crafts to kids, helping with sports for youth, and tons more. Last month I designed and painted murals at an elementary school in Canarsie Brooklyn as a part of NY Cares Day. On Thanksgiving every year I like to help out with meals-on-wheels or at a homeless shelter. There is also the Winter Wishes program, where children write letters to Santa and ask for one gift and then you sign up and pretend to be Santa and purchase the gift for that child. I played Santa by getting a Big Sister Dora for a little girl. Programs similar to this are held all over the country and it’s a great way to give a child a smile on Christmas when he/she otherwise would receive nothing. I’m going to help paint at some other inner city schools and nursing homes this month and deliver meals to homeless people too. Okay, I don’t want to get preachy, but I’m sure we all could spread the love a little more this season and this coming year. There are lots of volunteer organizations in all cities across the country, so find your local one and help those who are less fortunate than yourself.

My HUGE mural at P.S. 279

volunteers helping paint my mural at NY Cares Day 2008