How Experience Influenced My Views On Charitable Giving
My name is Brian Hemel and I am a Co-Founder of Pass the Plate. I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and was fortunate to attend a Catholic church and school. Like most kids growing up in the southeast, I attended a weekly Sunday service, really not wanting to go. During those services I would go through the motions and could not wait for the service to be over.
A few times a year however, a service or two would catch my attention. A visiting priest or missionary would speak to us about their community, the supplies they needed and how our community could help. These visitors usually spoke in choppy English so I had to pay special attention in order to understand them. Afterward, the community would rally together to send various types of donations based on the need.
Similar to donations collected in the church, in my elementary school we would be given a cardboard bank to help raise money during mission week. As a second grader my goal was not always to raise money for the mission but to beat the other classes so my class could be rewarded. Each year, donations were raised for a specific group, usually in a foreign country, and we would never hear about fundraising efforts until the following year. Whether it was through school or the church, I really did not understand what the whole giving thing was about or really how “my” donation was going to help.
As I got older my views on giving started to change. Specifically, I remember in 6th grade, my class collected toys and delivered them to the children’s ward at a local hospital. Each student brought in a toy, geared towards a specific patient, and we were able to hand deliver the present to that patient. To most of these patients, this was the only gift they would receive that year. To see the smiles on their faces was something I will never forget. This was the first time that I actually saw what giving to others could accomplish first hand. I learned that giving is not always financial, not always a competition, and can be just as rewarding for the giver as the recipient.
The high school I attended stressed being a “Man for Others”. We continued the tradition of collecting money during mission week but what really stood out to me was being a “Man for Others”, especially during the Thanksgiving Week. Before high school I took it for granted that food was going to be on the table, and selfishly thought that everyone else enjoyed the same type of celebration. Each homeroom adopted several families to deliver food to over the holiday. We collected food and the money collected was used to purchase enough food to feed each adopted family for a week. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, members of each homeroom would fill boxes with all of the food collected and purchased. After a quick mass, we would deliver each basket to the adopted family. The families that received the baskets were often speechless and could not thank us enough. This showed me how lucky I am and that I should not take anything that I have for granted.
After high school, I attended a college whose motto was “Learn in Order to Serve”. As a college student, raising money was not as easy, but community service was something everyone could participate in. As a new student, one way the college greeted new students was to participate in Move a Mountain Day. Student groups would perform community service off campus by painting, working with the elderly, trail maintenance, picking up trash, etc. This not only let new students learn about the place they would be spending the next four years, but also serve the community that would support and surround them during their stay.
In closing, there are many ways in which you can donate. You can donate through Pass the Plate or directly to countless non-profits that are helping support the disaster stricken communities around the world. Remember, donations do not always need to be financial, look around your community and ask yourself – What can I do to help?
Do you have a personal story or experience that has shaped your giving? Please share with us on Facebook or Twitter!