I know what you are thinking - "Is it youth week at Sublime Goodness?" No, just serendipity that I came across two inspirational stories about two activist kids in the span of a few days. Here is the caption from the AP for the photo above:
Drew Buckley, 10, a Patel Conservatory ballet student separates ballet shoes she has collected for students at Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School before a dance class Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 in Tampa, Fla. Buckley collected $1,700, with the help of her mother, to buy new ballet shoes for the kids, some who live in a homeless shelter, others who live in tough urban neighborhoods and take ballet as part of their physical education class.
I wish I was this empathetic and resourceful when I was a kid:
Over the holidays, when 7-year-old Jonathan Slack saw a destitute woman in Chicago with a sign that said she had no place to live, he was moved to tears—and then to action. He wrote a letter to his community of Orland Park, Ill., asking residents to help the homeless, distributing photocopies around the neighborhood. Within 10 days, Jonathan’s neighbors responded with four trucks of food and toys, which he sent to Chicago’s Su Casa Catholic Worker homeless shelter. “I’d like to think it was divine intervention,” said his mother. (from The Week)
Four trucks. Did I mention he's 7? Also, I lived right next to Orland Park for many years when I was younger so that part made me happy too.
A true "rags to riches" story about the amazing Khadijah Williams:
Around here [her high school], Khadijah is known as "Harvard girl," the "smart girl" and the girl with the contagious smile who landed at Jefferson High School only 18 months ago.
What students don't know is that she is also a homeless girl.
As long as she can remember, Khadijah has floated from shelters to motels to armories along the West Coast with her mother. She has attended 12 schools in 12 years; lived out of garbage bags among pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers. Every morning, she upheld her dignity, making sure she didn't smell or look disheveled.
On the streets, she learned how to hunt for their next meal, plot the next bus route and help choose a secure place to sleep -- survival skills she applied with passion to her education.
Only a few mentors and Harvard officials know her background. She never wanted other students to know her secret -- not until her plane left for the East Coast hours after her Friday evening graduation.
"I was so proud of being smart I never wanted people to say, 'You got the easy way out because you're homeless,' " she said. "I never saw it as an excuse."
There is much more to her story and I encourage you to read it at the LA Times here. She graduate with high honors, including fourth in her class. She also was accepted to more than 20 universities (turning down Brown and Columbia...) and plans on becoming an education attorney.
My takeaway - believe in yourself, work hard and know that anything is possible.
Youngsters never cease to amaze me. In just the few short months of Sublime Goodness, I've posted many stories of inspirational youth. This is no exception:
In just two weeks, Zach Bonner's black-and-red sneakers have hit about 170 miles of pavement. They'll log hundreds more miles as Zach continues his 50-day "My House to the White House" journey to the nation's capitol, raising awareness of child homelessness.
Zach, of Tampa, Fla., made a pit stop in Spartanburg's Cleveland Park Wednesday to invite local students to walk with him, then pass his message on to others.
"I would like to continue to educate as many people as possible about the problem of homelessness," 11-year-old Zach said. "That is what the walk is about - to raise awareness."
At just 7 years old, Zach founded the Little Red Wagon Foundation Inc. (www.littleredwagonfoundation.com), with the motto "Kids helping kids one wagon full at a time." On the 668-mile walk, Zach says he hopes to draw attention to the more than 1.3 million homeless children in the country.
"I want people to know the truth about homeless children," he said. "They're not out there because they want to be, but because of bad situations out of their control."
Students from Chesnee Elementary School joined Zach for a walk around Cleveland Park and delivered more than 100 hand-written letters on child homelessness. Zach hopes to personally deliver any letters he collects along the way to President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.
CES student Jordan Hensley, 10, wrote about the need to help people who are without a home.
"I feel bad when I see people out there without food and water and how they're struggling to keep their lives," Jordan said. "Always try to help people and never let people starve."
This isn't the first time Zach has walked for the cause. In November 2007, he walked from Tampa to Tallahassee, Fla., and last fall he walked from Tallahassee to Atlanta. He plans to complete this third and final leg on June 29. (from Goupstate.com)
And he is 11! It inspires me to do more (in my old age :).
Here is a short documentary on Zack in his "early" years:
Here is a great story that I'm proud to say is from my area - I found this in my local paper yesterday:
Through a calendar in his iPod touch, Alex Rosencrance easily tracks when he needs to call volunteers, order groceries and write newsletter articles as part of organizing a monthly meal to feed about 80 homeless in Madison.
The 11-year-old Waunakee boy reliably reminds the mostly adult volunteers of upcoming shifts and some say his involvement has reinvigorated the monthly meal program that was hurting for participants.
“It comes kind of naturally for me,” Alex said of the leadership role.
Alex’s main duty is organizing about 17 volunteers needed each month, and while he doesn’t always help make the meal, he does like cooking at home.
I know what you are thinking - "Is it youth week at Sublime Goodness?" No, just serendipity that I came across two inspirational stories about two activist kids in the span of a few days. Here is the caption from the AP for the photo above:
Here is a great story that I'm proud to say is from my area - I found this in my local paper yesterday:
