Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Boy activist spreads message of change

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

UNICEF child ambassador and motivational speaker Bilaal Rajan has written a book for aspiring activists who want to follow his lead.

Bilaal Rajan is an author, public speaker and fundraising phenom specializing in crisis relief. Oh, and by the way - he's 12.

'Just a regular kid,' Bilaal Rajan, 12, has written a book, raised millions for global relief

Dec 30, 2008 04:30 AM, Carola Vyhnak, URBAN AFFAIRS REPORTER

Bilaal Rajan hasn't yet opened his mouth to speak and already the crowd of 250 is on its feet in a standing ovation. That's the first clue this is no ordinary 12-year-old.

Fifteen minutes later, the real estate investors who are his audience on this Thursday evening are cheering again, wowed by an inspiring and insightful pep talk – delivered without notes.

"You can do anything you want to make a positive difference in the world," the dynamic young crusader tells them. "You just have to believe in yourself. If we work together as one, change is inevitable, it's unavoidable."

Afterwards, Tahani Aburaneh rushes over to shake his hand.

"I am speechless – the way he touched me," she marvels. "This kid is going to make a difference on this Earth."

And that's how it is everywhere they go, says Bilaal's father Aman, who's brought him from their home in Richmond Hill to the speaking engagement at a hotel near Pearson airport. "It's so great to watch as a parent. He gets up there and he just explodes."

With two websites (makingchangenow.com and bilaalrajan.com), his own charity foundation and a personal assistant to manage his appearances, the otherwise "regular boy," as his mother Shamim describes him, is a philanthropic phenomenon.

He's helped raise $5 million for children's causes around the world. He's an author, motivational speaker, children's rights activist, world traveller and official child ambassador for UNICEF Canada. Last summer he was named one of the country's Top 20 under 20.

Squeezing in classes at St. Andrew's College in Aurora – he missed 10 weeks of school last year – he manages a 91 per cent average in his Grade 8 subjects. In 30 years of teaching, says middle school director Mike Hanson, "I have never taught a student who was so driven and determined to improve the world he lives in."

Not surprisingly, the term "overachiever" figures in the title of his new book, Making Change: Tips from an Underage Overachiever (Orca Book Publishers). Its objective is to inspire children to take action and create a more peaceful, caring world, says Bilaal.

"Some people say I've done extraordinary things. But there's nothing that makes me any different than other kids. They too can make a difference."

His 150-page guide tells how with fundraising ideas, pointers on public speaking and advice for getting large corporations on board.

Bilaal was bitten by the fundraising bug at age 4. As his father was reading a newspaper article to him about a devastating earthquake in Gujarat, India, Bilaal "took in the meaning of the story," Aman recalls. "He was thinking about the people."

Eating a clementine, he said he wanted to raise money by selling the fruit. Going door-to-door with his parents, he raised $350.

He went on to help African youngsters affected by HIV/AIDS by selling decorative plates he made himself, and kids of hurricane-ravaged Haiti by selling cookies. As an 8-year-old, he also persuaded major corporations to make generous donations of medicine, food and other aid to the Haitian cause.

Four years ago, Bilaal raised thousands for tsunami relief efforts in Southeast Asia, then issued a challenge through UNICEF Canada for every child to raise $100. His goal of $1 million ballooned to almost $4 million when Ottawa matched the kids' contributions.

Bilaal's desire to help others "has always been there," says Aman. "He not only takes it to the next level, he climbs mountains." People ask if he and Shamim push Bilaal, he says.

"Never. Never do we push."

Bilaal credits his kindergarten teacher for inspiring him.

"I used to be in one corner, reading my own little book and not talking much. She taught me how to express myself with confidence."

Counting Mahatma Gandhi and the Aga Khan among his heroes, Bilaal has his sights set on a dual career as a neurosurgeon and astronaut – the first to land on Mars.

When he's not changing the world, he's playing sports, reading or playing with his Scottish terrier, Bobby. He doesn't play video games. To his friends, he's both a regular kid and an inspiration.

Nicholas Whitelaw, 12, says Bilaal's example motivated him to put in 550 volunteer hours at his church.

"He really does make a difference and it makes me want to do what he's doing."

With files from Robyn Doolittle.

Read more about Bilaal in the current issue of Desi Life magazine at desilife.ca.
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Hard Times, a Helping Hand

By TED GUP, Canton, Ohio 

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

IN the weeks just before Christmas of 1933 — 75 years ago — a mysterious offer appeared in The Repository, the daily newspaper here. It was addressed to all who were suffering in that other winter of discontent known as the Great Depression. The bleakest of holiday seasons was upon them, and the offer promised modest relief to those willing to write in and speak of their struggles. In return, the donor, a “Mr. B. Virdot,” pledged to provide a check to the neediest to tide them over the holidays.

Not surprisingly, hundreds of letters for Mr. B. Virdot poured into general delivery in Canton — even though there was no person of that name in the city of 105,000. A week later, checks, most for as little as $5, started to arrive at homes around Canton. They were signed by “B. Virdot.”

The gift made The Repository’s front page on Dec. 18, 1933. The headline read: “Man Who Felt Depression’s Sting to Help 75 Unfortunate Families: Anonymous Giver, Known Only as ‘B. Virdot,’ Posts $750 to Spread Christmas Cheer.” The story said the faceless donor was “a Canton man who was toppled from a large fortune to practically nothing” but who had returned to prosperity and now wanted to give a Christmas present to “75 deserving fellow townsmen.” The gifts were to go to men and women who might otherwise “hesitate to knock at charity’s door for aid.”

Whether the paper spoke to Mr. B. Virdot directly or through an intermediary or whether it received something in writing from him is not known.

Down through the decades, the identity of the benefactor remained a mystery. Three prosperous generations later, the whole affair was consigned to a footnote in Canton’s history. But to me, the story had always served as an example of how selfless Americans reach out to one another in hard times. I can’t even remember the first time I heard about Mr. B. Virdot, but I knew the tale well.

Then, this past summer, my mother handed me a battered old black suitcase that had been gathering dust in her attic. I flipped open the twin latches and found a mass of letters, all dated December 1933. There were also 150 canceled checks signed by “B. Virdot,” and a tiny black bank book with $760 in deposits.

My mother, Virginia, had always known the secret: the donor was her father, Samuel J. Stone. The fictitious moniker was a blend of his daughters’ names — Barbara, Virginia and Dorothy. But Mother had never told me, and when she handed me the suitcase she had no idea what was in it — “some old papers,” she said. The suitcase had passed into her possession shortly after the death of my grandmother Minna in 2005.

I took the suitcase with me to our log cabin in the woods of Maine, and there, one night, began to read letter after letter. They had come from all over Canton, from out-of-work upholsterers, painters, bricklayers, day laborers, insurance salesmen and, yes, former executives — some of whom, I later learned, my grandfather had known personally.

One, written Dec. 19, 1933, begins, “I hate to write this letter ... it seems too much like begging. Anyway, here goes. I will be honest, my husband doesn’t know I’m writing this letter... . He is working but not making enough to hardly feed his family. We are going to do everything in our power to hold on to our house.” Three years behind in taxes and out of credit at the grocery store, the writer closed with, “Even if you don’t think we’re worthy of help, I hope you receive a great blessing for your kindness.”

Another letter came from a 38-year-old steel worker, out of a job and stricken with tuberculosis, who wrote of his inability to pay the hospital bills for his son, whose skull had been fractured after he was struck by a car.

One man wrote: “For one like me who for a lifetime has earned a fine living, charity by force of distressed circumstances is an abomination and a headache. However, your offer carries with it a spirit so far removed from those who offer help for their own glorification, you remove so much of the sting and pain of forced charity that I venture to tell you my story.”

The writer, once a prominent businessman, was now 65 and destitute, his life insurance policy cashed in and gone, his furniture “mortgaged,” his clothes threadbare, his hope of paying the electric and gas bills pinned to the intervention of his children.

From left to right, Virgina Stone, the author's mother, Minna Stone, the author's grandmother, Barbara Stone, Dorothy Stone and Sam Stone, the author's grandfather.

Samuel J. Stone.

  

Names and addresses have been removed from the letters above.

A mother of four wrote, “My husband hasn’t had steady work in four years ... . The people who are lucky enough to have no worry where the next meal is coming from don’t realize how it is to be like we are and a lot of others... . I only wish I could do what you are doing.”

Another letter was from the wife of an out-of-work bricklayer. “Mr. Virdot, we are in desperate circumstances,” she wrote. They had taken in her husband’s mother and father and a 10-year-old boy. Now the landlord had given them three days to pay up. “It is awful,” she wrote. “No one knows, only those who go through it. It does seem so much like begging. ”

Children, too, wrote in. The youngest was 12-year-old Mary Uebing. “There are six in our family,” she wrote, “and my father is dead ... my baby sister is sick. Last Christmas our dinner was slim and this Christmas it will be slimmer... . Any way you could help us would be appreciated in this fatherless and worrisome home.”

The wife of an out-of-work insurance salesman added a postscript to her letter, one not intended for her husband’s eyes: She had just pawned her engagement ring for $5.

Also in the suitcase were thank-you letters from people who had received Mr. Virdot’s checks. A father wrote: “It was put to good use paying for two pairs of shoes for my girls and other little necessities. I hope some day I have the pleasure of knowing to whom we are indebted for this very generous gift.”

That was from George W. Monnot, who had once owned a successful Ford dealership but whose reluctance to lay off his salesmen hastened his own financial collapse, his granddaughter told me.

Of course, the checks could not reverse the fortunes of an entire family, much less a community. A few months after one man, Roy Teis, wrote to B. Virdot, his family splintered apart. His eight children, including a 4-year-old daughter, were scattered among nearly as many foster homes, and there they remained for years to come.

So why had my grandfather done this? Because he had known what it was to be down and out. In 1902, when he was 15, he and his family had fled Romania, where they had been persecuted and stripped of the right to work because they were Jews. They settled into an immigrant ghetto in Pittsburgh. His father forced him to roll cigars with his six other siblings in the attic, hiding his shoes so he could not go to school.

My grandfather later worked on a barge and in a coal mine, swabbed out dirty soda bottles until the acid ate at his fingers and was even duped into being a strike breaker, an episode that left him bloodied by nightsticks. He had been robbed at night and swindled in daylight. Midlife, he had been driven to the brink of bankruptcy, almost losing his clothing store and his home.

By the time the Depression hit, he had worked his way out of poverty, owning a small chain of clothing stores and living in comfort. But his good fortune carried with it a weight when so many around him had so little.

His yuletide gift was not to be his only such gesture. In the same black suitcase were receipts hinting at other anonymous acts of kindness. The year before the United States entered World War II, for instance, he sent hundreds of wool overcoats to British soldiers. In the pocket of each was a handwritten note, unsigned, urging them not to give in to despair and expressing America’s support.

Like many in his generation, my grandfather believed in hard work, and disdained handouts. In 1981, at age 93, he died driving himself to the office, crashing while trying to beat a rising drawbridge. But he could never ignore the brutal reality of times when work was simply not to be had and self-reliance reached its limits. He sought no credit for acts of conscience. He saw them as the debt we owe one another and ourselves.

For many Americans, this Christmas will be grim. Here, in Ohio, food banks and shelters are trying to cope with the fallout from plant closings, layoffs, foreclosures and bankruptcies. The family across the street lost their home. From our breakfast table, we look out on their house, dark and vacant. Multibillion-dollar bailouts to banks and Wall Street have yet to bring relief to those humbled by need and overwhelmed by debt. Already, the B. Virdot in me — in each of us — can hear the words of our neighbors. 

Ted Gup, a professor of journalism at Case Western Reserve University, is the author of “Nation of Secrets.”
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Son's diabetes led couple into changing lives forever

Capture

The Sentinel reports on a couple providing useful service for over 25 years.

Stuart and Glenys Grime, of Oldhill Close, Talke Pits, were inspired to help raise money and awareness about diabetes after their son Robert was diagnosed with the condition as a teenager. Stuart, a 74-year-old retired advertising representative and Glenys, a 73-year-old retired nursery nurse, also have two grandchildren and have been volunteering for Diabetes UK for more than 25 years.

Colette Warbrook reports:

When and where did you first meet?

Stuart says: We met at the Trentham Gardens ballroom in 1959 when I was about 25. I asked Glenys for a dance, and as we danced we got chatting and found we got on well together. There was a mutual attraction and we started going to Trentham together at weekends, so things developed slowly from there.

Glenys says: We met while ballroom dancing at Trentham Gardens and our relationship gradually developed from there. We got on very, very well together, and we used to love dancing.

What was your first impression of each other?

Stuart says: I'm not one of those romantics. We just took a great liking to one another and realised we were very, very well suited.

Glenys says: I just knew Stuart was going to be very steady and caring, and that is how he has always been. He has been very caring to both me and Robert, and also the grandchildren.

How was your wedding day?

Stuart says: We just drifted into getting married, so there was no formal proposal. Our wedding was in October, 1960, at Chesterton Parish Church. The sun shone and it was a nice day all round.

Glenys says: Our wedding day was very nice. It was a lovely, sunny day.

How did you find out Robert had diabetes?

Stuart says: It was in 1982 and we were in Windsor at the time staying in a caravan. Robert was aged about 14 or 15, and he kept running to the toilet. He was thirsty and was losing weight too, so we knew there was something wrong. We broke off our holiday, came home and went to the doctor. It was found that Robert had diabetes and he was taken to hospital straight away.

Glenys says: It was during the October half-term, and Robert looked very gaunt. We became very concerned, so we decided to pack up and come straight home. The next morning we went to the doctor and a sample was taken and he was then admitted to hospital immediately.

How did you cope with the news?

Stuart says: It was very worrying. Robert was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which means his body is unable to produce insulin, so he has to inject himself with it. We didn't know anything about diabetes at the time, and we were taught how to inject Robert. However, he has always injected himself, right from day one.

Glenys says: Back then we thought diabetes was something old people had, and we'd never come into contact with anyone who actually had it, so we were rather frightened.

How did it change family life?

Stuart says: Some foods were banned, some could be eaten in moderation and others were perfectly OK. We used to have to measure out portions, which you don't have to do today. Sweets were out, so to this day we don't have a dessert after a main meal, which means Robert doesn't feel left out.

Glenys says: We carried on as usual, but we changed our diet. Back then we had to weigh things like apples and bread, but once we knew all these things, we just got on with it.

Why did you start volunteering for Diabetes UK?

Stuart says: Glenys knew someone who told us about the Newcastle branch of what was then the British Diabetic Association. We went to our first meeting a few months after Robert was diagnosed and we learned an awful lot through that. Later we were invited on to the committee and I was chairman for 14 years. The group is now known as Diabetes UK North Staffs Voluntary Group, and it has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for things like equipment for the diabetes unit at The University Hospital Of North Staffordshire.

Glenys says: Someone told us about the meetings in Newcastle and we went to our first one in February 1983. We found the charity very, very helpful, and we've been involved ever since. There are so many dedicated people in our group who all work very hard, but we're looking for some younger people to get involved, because we're all getting older.

How is Robert now?

Stuart says: Robert is 41 now and he is fine. He has to inject himself four times a day, but he's been a model diabetic. He hasn't done anything silly and has always kept to the regime. People can still lead relatively normal lives, but there are restrictions.

Glenys says: He is a wonderful son, and he holds down a very good job as a quantity surveyor. We've been very fortunate with how he has looked after himself.

A Christmas Fair will take place at Bradwell Lodge, Porthill, at 2pm on Saturday, November 29, to raise money for Diabetes UK North Staffs Voluntary Group. To find out more about the group, contact the secretary, David Scott, on 01782 861690
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Those in need helping others with donations to Food Bank of Eastern Michigan; Students in Flint schools among those giving back

FLINT, Michigan -- Potter Elementary students are paying it forward to help fight hunger.

The need for food assistance is up more than ever among families at the northeast-side school, but Principal Anthony Sitko says his students are also setting a different, more inspirational record.

Two local churches recently gave Thanksgiving food baskets to the families of 20 Potter students -- and the elementary school responded by collecting a couple hundred food items to be donated to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, he said.

The drive, organized by the school's Youth Advisory Council, is an example of a subtle shift the food bank has seen in community service. In these poor economic conditions, kids seem to be understanding at a younger age the concept of helping the less fortunate, especially when they see it first-hand.

Sixth-grader Marissa Ebert, who helped organize the food drive, said her family probably needs some help from time to time.  "I wanted to be able to help somebody else," said Marissa, who brought in cans of peas and corn. "I think we helped a lot of people."

Flint Journal extras

Many Flint schools are giving back this holiday season. Here are some examples of their generosity:

• Bryant Elementary: Holding a canned food drive to go toward Thanksgiving food baskets.

• Doyle-Ryder Elementary: Giving away 10 Thanksgiving food baskets.

• Freeman Elementary: Collecting money and canned food for holiday food basket.

• Southwestern Academy: Sponsoring baskets for the needy; Holding a classroom "Adopt-A-Family" project.

Source: Flint School District

Sitko said he often notices that the students who are in need of assistance are seeing that others also need help.
"The demand is up, but the generous giving was also up," he said. "These are tough times and students want to provide support for others who need it."
The food bank recently kicked off its annual month-long fundraising campaign, Face of Hunger. It's goal is to raise $720,000, but food drives like the one at Potter also help the food bank's central mission.

"It shows the real philanthropic nature of our community," said William Kerr, food bank president. "It really is a wonderful example of generosity."

When people think about hunger, they often think of the homeless, Kerr said, but that's usually not the case with many food bank clients.

Many supporters of the food bank have at one point or another needed to use its services, he said. It's evidence that those who need help often feel the need to give back.

"We're not so much a community of haves and have-nots -- we're a community of equals," Kerr said. "Some of us have more than others at certain times and give back."
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Friday, November 21, 2008

Caring neighbor gets a High 5

KLS News in Salt Lake City, Utah honors a caring neighbor.

November 21st, 2008 @ 8:00am

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

(be patient, there may be an advertisement first!!)

(KSL News) Some Salt Lake City residents made sure an unsung hero in their neighborhood knows that she's made a difference in their lives.

We helped them surprise Joy Waldron with a High 5 this morning. The neighbors who turned out for the High 5 had e-mailed us saying Joy constantly is taking care of those who live around her. She brings people together in a spirit of love and caring.

They say she mows the lawn on a regular basis for others. She also rakes leaves, babysits and is the "guardian angel" of the neighborhood.

Carla Freebairn nominated Joy because she's always helping her neighbors.

"On the holidays she takes the flags and puts them out on both sides of the street. She calls the elderly in the neighborhood to make sure their needs are met. On Election Day she called to make sure they had a ride to vote. She takes care of everybody in the neighborhood, and we wanted to tell her we appreciate her and love her."

Joy said, "I just love everyone. I love the neighbors. I just love them, and I want to take care of them if I can, as much as I can," she said.

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