The Power of Giving Back

BY LESLIE VERA

Many people wait to give back because they feel that they lack the money or time. It is not the lack of resources that is stopping them, but the lack of resourcefulness. But there are many ways to impact someone’s life - a simple act of kindness, bringing hope or happiness to someone’s life, can be enough.

My first memory of giving back goes back to when I was six years old and still living in the Peruvian Amazon. It was Christmas Eve, and like many other Peruvians, my family and I were celebrating Christmas that night. The tradition was to go to the plaza - the park in the center of town - have a Christmas dinner, and stay up until midnight to open presents.

That evening, my family and I went to the plaza, and as we walked closer, I noticed two boys around my age cleaning shoes for 20 cents. I couldn’t stop wondering why they were working on Christmas Eve, so I turned to my mom and asked her if we could invite them over for our Christmas dinner. My mom couldn’t say no, but she said, “If you want to invite them, YOU have to go ask them yourself.”

I ran over to them to ask if they would want to join us for dinner, and they happily accepted. The smiles on their faces lit up mine, so I ran back to my mom to tell her they would be coming.

Although, at the time, we were also struggling with money and didn’t have much, my mom quickly walked over to a store nearby to buy them something small for their Christmas presents. The two boys and their mom walked back home with us and celebrated Christmas with us that night.

It was the first time that they had a Christmas dinner and presents in their lives. The happiness they radiated brought joy to everyone in our household, and from that moment forward, I knew that bringing joy to those around me would fulfill me in life. After all, studies show that individuals who give back typically live longer and happier lives.

I share this story because it shows that you don’t need too much in order to start giving back. Start small and start today.

Once you start giving back to the community, you can inspire others to