Is the donor who gives money happier, or an underprivileged child who receives the money? My parents were the heads of Akshaya Patra, a conglomerate which supports schools in India by giving money for lunch, so that deprived students can have a decent meal. They would make me hand out flyers in the burning sun for endless hours, and this experience resulted in me dreading “helping.” Glancing at pictures of these poverty stricken adolescents, and actually visiting them in India, drastically altered my opinions because each teenager ate the unappetizing and dry bread with a worried expression, as if they knew they that vomiting was a side effect of this food. From then on, I constantly had an idea in my mind about creating an organization of my own for helping other children in the U.S who do not receive as much as I do.

For my 12th birthday, my cousin gifted me a Rainbow Loom® bracelet making kit. My love for creating this jewelry grew more and more as I had leisure time in summer. I passed on this addiction one day when my friend came over to my house. Laying each vibrant rubber band across pegs on a board, we maneuvered them in various ways to create unique designs, from flowers and animals, to letters for someone’s name. As the images of the poor youth reappeared my mind, I remembered my goal to form a foundation, and I came up with a brilliant idea — to start a business by selling the bracelets and donating the money we make. Creating them was a laborious task, as our tired hands had to continuously hold a tight grip on the crochet stick in order to prevent any errors. Even though it was tiring, we kept reminding ourselves that other children were depending on our help. From then on, we would meet up every weekend to create more, and after receiving approval from our principal, Ms. Ellis, my friend and I began selling them at school. Little did we know that gradually, after many hours of hard work, we would raise $400. We were ecstatic when we were offered, from Ms. Ellis, to drive from school to The Giving Tree office and physically hand the check to the managers of this non-profit. Walking into the giant garage filled with toys, clothing, and other essentials like toothbrushes and towels, a smile slowly appeared on my face. Although I knew that our donation was trivial compared to what others had given, happiness filled my body because I knew the money would make a difference in at least one student’s life.
After this event, I finally understood that the true meaning of charity is one’s act of kindness and willingness to give to people in need in return for nothing materialistic, but a priceless grin. Adults who have made fortunes are viewed to be the main supporters for charitable foundations, but since “[no] act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted” (Aesop), donating a small token can mean a worry-free day for an underprivileged individual.