Examples of Good Deeds: Disaster Relief
"The levees broke, the water came, and homes were destroyed, but the battle is not over. The waters are receding, but this only marks the beginning of the end. The people now have to start the long journey back to their normal lives. Volunteers are now interested in helping with the clean up. There is a group of teenagers that are having a city-wide Paint-A-Thon, to put new coats on flood damaged homes. Others are helping rebuild and repair the homes." Beth Blunier, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
"People from a small school in Sacramento, California, donated 1,100 pounds of toys and coats, and eight hundred dollars, to help children in Des Moines, Iowa, who were affected by the floods." Justin Lockwood, Bondurant-Farrar High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"During a natural disaster, it is amazing how many people get up out of their chairs and go help people who are in need. Just this past year there have been several large scale disasters in the United States. Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, plane crashes, and train crashes. People feel lucky it didn't happen to them so they forget about everything in their own personal life just to help people who have been devastated. Ð I am thankful that there are people in America who care about others." Randy White, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"Likewise, during the Flood of '93 many people learned lessons in responsibility. There were many people who lost everything, but they continued to sandbag in hope of saving others." Sara Knobloch, Eureka High, Eureka, Illinois
Examples of Good Deeds: Kindness
"Simple acts of goodwill go a long way, as was documented in a Reader's Digest article. After remembering a note that read "practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a friend's refrigerator, a woman paid the toll for herself and the six people behind her." Jennifer Artemis Carr, Aubrey High School, Aubrey, Texas
"Random Acts of Kindness was the theme of the February 15th edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show. On the show were several instances of responsible actions causing kindness. Oprah started off with her own example. With the aid of a toll operator, Oprah performed, "a random act of kindness to make the world a better place". She paid everyone's tolls that drove through after her, having the operator tell the drivers that the car in front of them had paid their $2 toll fee. When asked how they felt, many of the drivers were shocked, happy, and wanting to be kind in return. Several paid the toll for the car following them. One man came back with a $500 check for Oprah to donate to a given charity. It just went to show that kindness will provoke kindness. Oprah's one responsible act moved many other people to become responsible and kind. She went on to say, "What we hope is, we do a kind thing and it spreads." Scott Knapp, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
On May 3, 1994, Congressman Walter Tucker of California introduced Random Acts of Kindness Week, effective February 12, 1995. The stated purpose was to lessen the perception of violence which permeates our culture. In an obvious imitation of the Oprah Winfrey Show, Mr. Tucker said on the floor of Congress, "How many will pay the toll for the guy behind us [them]?" He went on to suggest that people consider deeds such as helping the elderly across the street and giving a quarter to a homeless person. The congressman said these acts would be a step against violence. What do you think?
"Amy Hagedorn suffers from cerebral palsy and her wish was to have one day when she would not be teased by her classmates. And her wish came true when students at South Wayne Elementary School held a day in honor of Amy. Doesn't this show there is still some good left in kids today?" Crystal Bearley, Kensington High School, Kensington, Kansas
"In the United States one woman was touched by a black woman's fight with AIDS. Though shadowed by death, she would not rest until she found new parents to care for her two girls. Her story was aired on national television and one woman decided she and her family, members of an all white community, could give these children the home they needed. She immediately set up an interview with the mother and later became her friend and nurse. This [is] one example of the good that comes from caring. But, there is another lesson to be learned: racism can set no boundaries on love." Farrah D. Gunter, Plainview High School, Ardmore, Okahoma
"Friends of my family are foster parents. They especially like housing babies. They took in a baby that had hydrocephalusÒwater on the brain. [The child's] medical bills far exceeded any compensation they received. They also took in, and adopted, a crack baby knowing [he] may develop AIDS." Lindsay Mannelin, Deer River High School, Deer River, Minnesota
"A nearby school has an exchange teacher from Finland. While she [was] visiting a large city recently, her car was stolen and totaled. Now the Teachers' Associations from area schools are sponsoring a raffle to raise money to buy her a new car. Instead of this teacher returning to Finland with a bad impression of Americans, now she will take with her the knowledge that most of us are very caring people." Leanne Abell, Ramsey High School, Ramsey, Illinois
Examples of Good Deeds: Teen Programs
"Reverend LeHavre BuckÐwas 17 when his girlfriend, now wife of 21 years, told him she was pregnant. He quit school and joined the Marines and married his girlfriend. His story turned out happily. Now he gives workshops as part of the National Urban League Campaign on male responsibility. He uses role models to inspire the kids. He tries to build self-esteem and offer new alternatives to teens to get out of the poverty cycle." Dawn Eddy, Iowa-Grant High School, Livingston, Wisconsin
"2pac, a rap group, has released a song entitled, "Keep Your Head Up." This song encourages young men to stay with the children they father and to respect women. All of these attempts to make morals 'cool' are effective, and more are appearing every day." Blythe Sullivan, Demopolis High, Demopolis, Alabama
"Boy Talk is a group of male students at Texas Tech University who meet with early teenage boys and discuss their questions about growing up to be responsible adults." Colby Black, Hereford High School, Hereford, Texas
"In Southern Oregon, a great deal of good is being done for local teens by SODA, or Southern Oregon Drug Awareness. They recently received a citation for reducing teenage drinking by 60 percent. High school students from all districts are involved with the club and pledge not to use alcohol. A spokesman for SODA stated if they can get teens to be alcohol-free, all their work is worth it." Kevin Gilman, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
"Chicago's Midnight Basketball Association [keeps] young men between the ages of 17-26 [busy between] 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. when most violence occurs." Jackie Thompson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"A New York activist group called SCARED (Students Concerned About Rape Education) was formed by people who want to make a difference and take responsibility." Jenna Freeman, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
"Say What Ya Want, is a record put out by Mercury records to support the Rock the Vote voter registration drive. This is to encourage the younger generation to vote. A portion of record sales is donated to this group." Marc Eggers, Valhalla High School, Valhalla, New York
"Rainier Beach Community Center , every Saturday has functions set up for teens. They try to keep them away from gang related activities." Ramona Lazanis, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
"Teenagers of Detroit's Westside Cultural and Athletic Center, (WCAC) have turned a field that was once overrun with gangs and violence into a baseball field and playground. These teens also make themselves available for helping with homework." Jennifer Waddell, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
"United For Peace [is] a program that involves gang members from all around [the country] trying to work together and do something good for the community. The gangs work together to try to stop the violence and create jobs for black men." Scott Arthur Grabe, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota
"A few years ago, an organization called Prevention Drama, was founded in surrounding counties. We had already started T.A.S.A (Teens Against Substance Abuse) but we felt we needed more. Now we go from town to town to perform skits for other high school students, and provide facts about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, date rape, depression, eating disorders and other problems that affect our peers. I realize that our organization is not the most publicized, but maybe it should be. These are important issues that can affect someone's life forever." Tawnya Marley, Ramsey High School, Ramsey, Illinois
"Teen members of the New York Sullivan Street Players write plays and enact them. These teens talk about such issues as racism, homelessness, abortion, drugs, and even date rape. This little theater group also gives the members of the group a chance to be creative in their dancing, singing, and acting." Jason Norris, Seaman High School, Topeka, Kansas
"Home Ties, in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a program in which counselors make house calls to troubled teenagers. They also visit the parents of troubled teens and dysfunctional families." Shane Nichols, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"Alcohol Education Program (AEP) is an organization which uses high school students as teacher assistants. Student receive training during the summer to become peer leaders. These trained students then [conduct] after-school discussion groups with other students [in which they] discuss fears and questions they have about alcohol and drinking." Sherri Koltes, DeForest High, DeForest, Wisconsin
"Students of Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, are also giving their timeÐstudents are assigned to a National Honor Society student for tutoring. Instead of being punished the students who misbehave have a chance to learn." Sarah Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"The Zero-Tolerance program, in Santa Clara County, went into effect a year ago, which shows high school students the consequences of bringing firearms to school. The students then go to elementary schools and help kids understand that violence and guns are not cool. Their goal is to rid schools of all firearms, brass knuckles, clubs, fighting sticks, and pocket knives." Sarah McDonnell, Pioneer High School, San Jose, California
"In Los Angeles, a group of lawyers have agreed to spend time with kids just being released from California Youth Authority." Sarah Mandler, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
"In Miami, FL, there's a Peer Conflict Management Program which introduces troubled teenagers to critical thinking, self evaluation, diagnosing the conflict, and to find a solution without using violence." Sarah McDonnell, Pioneer High School, San Jose, California
"After being mugged by a gang of teenagers for the whole ten dollars in his wallet, Steve Mariotti quit his job to teach entrepreneurial skills to teenagers. His curriculum is taught at four high schools in New York City and eleven schools in the Midwest. He estimates the students' businesses make about $250,000 a year. The students run hot dog stands, cleaning and copy services, and T-shirt businesses. He says his fantasy is for every inner-city kid to start a company." Kelly Herb, Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, Pennsylvania
"In the small town of Hereford, Texas an organization known as the Keywanette's, serve the town in several different waysÐhigh school girls help the Red Cross and visit the Senior Citizens home. The girls show responsibility and encourage each other to be good role models for their school and community." Shelia Teel, Hereford High School, Hereford, Texas
"[The]Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation SeminarÐbrings togetherÐhigh school sophomores with demonstrated leadership qualities, tomorrow's leaders; and today's leaders, a group of men and women who have been successful in business, education, government, the sciences, the arts, and the professions. Through intense discussions, the 10th-graders, known as HOBY AmbassadorsÐlearn that as individuals they are important and that their thoughts and responsible actions can make a difference in their communities. HOBY motivates students by showing them that how to think can be as important as what to think." Patrick F. Welch, South Kent High School, South Kent, Connecticut
"There are indications that there are grass root movements in the inner cities to break the hold or appeal of gangs over the youths. The Gautreaux program in Chicago has helped (with excellent results) over 1500 families from the ghetto to move to the suburbs in order to break the welfare cycle, and the hold of gangs over their children." Bryan Williams, Ramsey High School, Ramsey, Illinois
"Perhaps the example of responsible behavior that I find the most admirable is the story of a newly formed group called Third Millennium. The intention of this group is to represent the concerns of people born between 1961 and 1981, hopefully through a document called the Third Millennium Declaration. Issues raised include combat waste, fraud, abuse, social security scams, and the national debt." Michelle R. Gannon, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
According to Parade Magazine, Freedom Summer '94 added representatives from twenty new youth organizations to the half milllion young people already gathered together to exchange ideas. The organizers intended to give the nation a positive view of American teens. The idea was to demonstrate the many ways young people can become involved with their communities. A toll free phone number was available so youngsters all over the country could get a list of organizations welcoming teen volunteers in their own areas. From the Hip, a group of young writers and photograhers, interviewed participants. It was an ambitious undertaking and an idea that the Harry Singer Foundation heartily applauds.
Examples of Good Deeds: Issues of Poverty and Homelessness
"A program called City Harvest began in 1982 in New York City when volunteers using a van started collecting food from restaurants, corporate dining rooms, and businesses, and distributed it to the poor. Today City Harvest has five vans which employees use almost around the clock to collect food from about 3,000 places. They distribute it to nearly 100 shelters, soup kitchens, church pantries, and senior citizen and day-care centers, at a cost of only thirty-nine cents a meal."Jackie Gensler, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania
"Some people in our community worked together to gather food donations from people in town, and surrounding towns, to establish a food pantry in the basement of a small business. The pantry provides food for needy people." Sarah Hanson, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"St. Bernard's Center for learning is a Head Start program in White Plains for pre-schoolers whose families live in shelters or transitional housing facilities for homeless people."Teresa Woodard, Camden High School, Camden, Tennessee
"Another program which is sponsored by local churches and organized service volunteers, is called Mom's Day Out. It gives free [or at] minimal cost, childcare to parents in need." Kirsten Sinkola, Deer River High School, Deer River, Minnesota
"Another example of giving is the Good Samaritan Urban Ministries. They buy older buildings, renovate them, and turn them into housing for people with low income." Justin Lockwood, Bondurant-Farrar High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"My English teacher gave me a brochure of a place called the House of Charity in Spokane Washington. It's made up totally of people volunteering their time to the homeless. Nurses, doctors, dentists, even people who don't have any special skills, know that their time is greatly appreciated, and don't seem to mind giving up a portion of it to benefit those less fortunate." Barbie Eaton, Wallace High School, Wallace, Idaho
"Christ House is located in Washington, D.C., and is a live-in medical convalescent home for the homeless, where patients can stay as long as it takes for them to get well. Christ House provides counseling and support groups, and also ensures stable loving conditions after the patient has been discharged." Kelly Gradel, DeForest High School, DeForest, Wisconsin
"James Washington of the Dallas CowboysÐwanted to make a difference in his own community. He started by creating a community center that will feed and house up to 30 homeless people at a time, with adjacent facilities for counseling and education. He calls it Shelter 37, which he got from his jersey number. It will be part of the reconstruction of South Central Los Angeles." Nhung Huynh, Pioneer High School, San Jose, California
"Tanya Tull has been helping homeless people for years. At first she created emergency shelters and then she started transitional housing programs. Tanya recently put together two non-profit groups which will provide housing and support for mentally ill, and families with children. By giving them support and a place to stay, they can change their life around and start over." Jodi Hitt, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho
"John and Mary Barker twice a week load food, clothing, and blankets they have collected from neighbors, into their family van. They then go out in search of homeless people who do not go to the missions for help. They sometimes go to vacant buildings, alleyways and train stations in search of the homeless." Jackie Gensler, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania
"In Mt. Vernon, N.Y., my aunt's church gives a baby shower to all expecting moms who are in need. At the shower these mothers-to-be receive diapers, bottles, blankets, and clothing for their unborn child." Erin Sweeney, Valhalla High School, Valhalla, New York
"The Family Resource Coalition in Chicago has been a drop-in center for single parents trying to raise their children alone in poorer sections of Chicago." Dallas Hacker, Strasburg High School, Strasburg, Colorado
"Loaves & Fishes is a church sponsored organization dealing directly with hunger in the community." Emily McCullon, Plainview High, Ardmore, Oklahoma
"It [a trip to Chicago] was for a program called MAD, which stands for Make A Difference. Our main objective was to do just that. In order to make a difference, we helped build houses for the homeless people. At the end of the week, I remember seeing a little girl who was going to be living in one of those houses. She was smiling from ear to ear, and I knew that we were partially responsible for her happiness." Kari Wahlstrom, Deer River High School, Deer River, Minnesota
"John Melped, an experimental performance artist, who is concerned about homelessness, discovered a unique way of using his talents to improve the lives of others. He took a group of homeless people and trained them to become performance artists in skits he had created about life on skid row. The group travels around California helping to change the public's view on homelessness, and providing the homeless with support." Jackie Gensler, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania
"NJHS members from Deer Valley Middle School in Phoenix, Arizona, organized and prepared a dinner for a local homeless shelter. Each student was responsible for a certain part of the meal. By the end of the evening the students felt good about this rewarding experience. They also demonstrated that teenagers are willing to give of their time to serve others." Sarah Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"In my hometown of Centerville, SD, we have a food pantry for the poor. This pantry receives donations from nearly the whole town. Donations are given and special events are held to collect food for the pantry. At dances, instead of paying an admission fee, people are asked to donate to the pantry."
Neal Bobzin, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"I tried to do something responsible on Christmas day, by helping out with a Christmas dinner for poor people. It was put on by Ashland Christian Fellowship. My dad organized the dinner, and he put many hours of work into it. We served over 800 dinners free of charge." Josh McFarland, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
"Every year local churches in my community makeup food baskets and deliver them to those less fortunate during the holiday season. The National Honor Society chapter of Rock Hill High School is having a Christmas party and providing dinner and present for underprivileged children." Jennifer Waddell, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
"In Spokane, Washington, Bryant Robertson, an eighth grader at North Pine Junior High, is trying to get his school to put free meals together for the homeless using extra cafeteria food. "We have extra food and instead of it going to waste, the homeless could come here and have a free meal," explains Bryant. Robertson is not the only one in Spokane doing something for the homeless. The county has put together an organization called the Spokane Neighborhood Action Program. This program uses state grant money to help place families in available homes. So far the program has been very successful, providing homes for approximately 120 people since 1989." Jodi Hitt, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho
"In the past there have been several benefit dinners or pancake feeds for people in need. Presently there is a benefit dinner being organized for a fifth grade boy from Centerville who has cancer. During these types of events, the people of the community come together and work for a worthy cause." Randy White, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota
"Dimension Cable has an Operation Holiday going on now. They allow people to bring in either a $10 toy or $10 worth of nonperishable food items. In return they give free installations. This allows people to get something at the same time as they are giving to those who are less fortunate than they are." Amber L. Gillenwater, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
"At my school we contribute many things to our community; we have different organizations that participate in different activities. During the holiday season a group called Helping Hands persuades the entire school to participate in giving gifts to the needy. The students wrap up different gifts for boys and girls and send them to the local Salvation Army. It helps the kids in school gain more of the holiday spirit while giving the needy a happier holiday." Dana Guiffreda, Valhalla High School, Valhalla, New York
"Access Food Share is another non-profit organization that has given generously of their time and efforts. This organization collects non-perishable foods such as canned and packaged food. and distributes it to needy families throughout the area. What makes this organization different from the rest is that they operate on a year round basis helping many different families have a little more at meal time." Jason M. Hayes, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
"In it's first year of existence, the Bikes for Jesus' Birthday program helped to make a happy Christmas morning for over 50 local familiesÐthe goal is 200 bicycles for 1994." Robert A. Braxton, Armwood High School, Seffner, Florida