CHARITY: JUST DO IT

by Laura Huth, President & CEO, do good Consulting

I remember my first real pang of activism – of charity – when I was about 10. A Time magazine lay open on the kitchen table and I saw the photo of a child. This wasn’t just any ordinary photo. Like many youth, the boy had large eyes and ears that stuck out from his head. But this little boy wasn’t smiling. And his eyes were covered in flies. I was stunned – I had never seen anything like this before. My knees buckled, my stomach sank, and my eyes welled up.

Ethiopians were starving, I read in the story that accompanied the photo, suffering from a terrible drought. The imagery of the words and photos moved me deeply; my throat hurt from trying to choke back tears I didn’t want my parents to see.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago in a middle-class neighborhood, I was relatively shielded from these sorts of goings-on in the world around me. We watched almost no television, got one paper a week, and only received Time because my sister won a subscription in a contest.

This is not to say that we were oblivious to the outside world. Even as a youngster, I volunteered at the local recycling center (this before curbside programs), accepting trunkloads of newspaper and bottles. My family spent time at the Chicago Food Depository boxing up food for other families, and even accompanied Grandma Huth on her Meals on Wheels routes.

What was lacking in these experiences, though, was context – a connection. Holding in my hand that day the photo of that young boy – though he was on the other side of the planet – so lacking in nourishment that every bone in his body could be seen poking out from his skin – made the situation extremely real to me. Uncomfortably real. Real enough that I decided to take my charity – my activism – to the next level.

My sister and I decided to harness the power of a group of people that gathered each Sunday. We had grown accustomed to putting small envelopes with bits of our allowance into the plates that came around during services at our church. The next Sunday, Caroline and I approached our pastor to ask if we could make a presentation and special appeal to raise money to send to Ethiopia.

The next Sunday, Caroline and I – knees shaking and palms sweating – took the pulpit and made our case. I don’t remember much about our presentation that day, but do remember standing on a short stool so we could see over the pulpit. I looked out at the congregation and realized they were listening – really listening – and that we had the opportunity to create change. The face of the Ethiopian boy flashed in my mind as we made our appeal for funds to help children like him – to provide them with food, medical supplies, and housing.

The passion in that appeal – and the face behind it motivating me – worked. The collection plates circulated and in the end, Caroline and I had helped to raise about $800.

That Sunday was the day I learned the true meaning of charity. It felt so good to be charitable – and to help others also be so – that it brought an otherwise knee-scraped, tough-as-nails tomboy to tears.

I realize now that what brought me to the pulpit that day was my family – a family who had been teaching me compassion, justice, perseverance, and hard work for 10 years.

I was raised on stories from my grandparents Huth about their 13 foster children – kids from all backgrounds, races, and economic situations. My grandparents Nemetz talked often about their experience as immigrants. I watched my dad leave for work each morning for decades, loyal to the same company his entire life. I remember my mother sitting with me, patient, as she taught me to be a great communicator.

All these things came together that one day in a fabulous opportunity of synergy. Ten years of love and life brought me to the pulpit to give me my first conscious experience with agape, which I think of as the unlimited love that comes with the act of giving back. I will never forget the experience, and from that day forward, I aim to live agape in everything I do, and to use my life’s work to help others also realize the love I found that day – the love I found in giving back.

As we grapple with lingering impacts of the earthquake in Haiti last year and now the devastation unleashed on Japan, as we continue to struggle in a state racked with budget woes and cities making enormous cuts to make ends meet, remember the opportunities simple acts of charity can have on others in need – and how it can unleash the power of agape in you, too.

In the end, it matters not if we have just one hour or 100 to volunteer. Do it. It matters not if you are just one person, or a crowd of 100. Speak out. Do it. And it matters not if we have only $1 or $100 to donate. Do it. To me, that is what charity is all about.
 

One Simple Act: THE POWER OF THANKS

In each month’s Doing Good, you’ll find one great tip to implement over the next month. By taking this one small, achievable action each month, you can make big changes in your organization’s and your own performance, increase donations and volunteerism, and expand your group’s visibility. Give it a try!

This month's ONE SIMPLE ACT was submitted by do good Consulting subcontractor Tim Newcomb, who specializes in non-profit technology needs, database systems, and e-communication systems. It focuses on the simple, but powerful, act of saying thanks.

Make next week "Thank You Week" at your organization. No matter your role -- staff member, board member, volunteer, donor, or client -- find some time each day to take a few minutes and thank another member of the staff, a board member, or a hard working volunteer for a job well done, a great idea, or just taking care of business. It takes a lot of good people working hard to help your organization fulfill its mission and make an impact in your community, so take a moment each day next week to recognize some of your team's achievements!

Group Profile: UNIVERSITY YMCA

by Rachael Dietkus-Miller

"No pool. No gym. Engaging people in service, reflection, and action since 1873 at the University of Illinois."

This is the main motto of the University YMCA at the University of Illinois – one of the oldest charitable organizations in Champaign County. The University Y is a multi-faceted organization that prides itself on the energy of its programs and the dedication of their student leaders and campus community volunteers.

Located in the heart of campus on the corner of Wright and Chalmers in Champaign, the University Y has been in its current location for nearly 75 years. As a former student leader with the University Y in the mid-1990s, I was deeply committed to the work of Alternative Spring Break . Years later, I was honored and privileged to be part of the staff working directly with student leaders of a different era. Committed to dialogue, cultural exchange, human rights, and an array of environmental issues, students, volunteers, and staff involved with the University Y demonstrated how to get things done all while staying on task with their mission. At present, the Y is home to 12 impressive and very active student programs reflecting issues of concern that embody issues surrounding culture, the environment, service learning, and human rights and social justice.

Last year, the University Y adopted the Principles of Stewardship, further demonstrating that their physical space is integral to their mission, should reflect their values and advance their mission, and always plays an important role in determining how all visitors perceive the organization. The University Y has recently completed the initial phase of their current building improvements and the results are both noticeable and beautiful.

The 138-year old structure is now equipped with a new sound system, updated and environmentally friendly lighting, and new paint, carpet, and furnishings throughout. A new elevator, updated office spaces, and staff and student programming space that aligns with their Principles of Stewardship are some of the highlights of this critical phase in renovations.

An updated space on the first floor has now become home to weekly Cosmo Coffee Hour discussions that are both lively and timely. A new Art @ the Y initiative embodies some of the most profound insight, critique, and creative thinking around the issues which comprise the mission of the Y. Art @ the Y seeks to engage issues of social justice, international understanding, environmental activism, faith, and cultural understanding through quality arts programming. The revolving exhibition space features artists whose work speaks to the mission of the Y, the international art film series, Global Lens, as well as performing arts events throughout the year.

From the longstanding lectures of Friday Forum and Know Your University to awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships through the Bailey Scholars program and sending hundreds of students on service trips each year with Alternative Spring Break, the University Y has not missed a moment in its almost 140 years to harness the energy of the young student population.

To learn even more about this remarkable campus and community institution, visit the University YMCA at www.universityymca.org.

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