Making a Difference

"It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little - do what you can."

-          Sydney Smith

Life can be tough.  Lost jobs, senseless violence, home foreclosures… With so much going on in the world today, I’ve heard many say that they avoid news programs because all that is reported is bad news.  That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to discover a segment called “Making a Difference,” which is broadcast at the end of the NBC Nightly News each weekday.  Some feature corporations and nonprofit organizations that are doing their part to better the lives of others, but most highlight ordinary Americans – just like you and me – who see a problem and deliver a solution to help people in extraordinary ways.  Following are a few of my favorites:

·    Mackenzie Bearup, a teenager from Alpharetta, Georgia, suffered a debilitating knee injury that left her bedridden for weeks.  To pass the time and escape the pain, she poured herself into books, which spawned an idea… to help other children escape tough situations – even if only for a while – through literature.  She founded Sheltering Books (ShelteringBooks.org), which donates books to children in homeless shelters.  Her initial goal was to gain and distribute 300 books; to date she’s handed out more than 50,000, and counting. 

·    Marlo Manning is the founder of Fairy Dog Parents (FairyDogParents.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing Massachusetts dog owners, hard-hit by the recession, from having to give up their dogs because they can no longer afford to feed and care for them.  Marlo lost her own beloved dog after a long illness and didn’t want others – particularly those in tough financial situations – to go through the same.  In 2009 (year of inception), her goal was to help 3 dogs.  Instead, she aided 27, and 71 have been served to date.  In Marlo’s words, “People say [that] when you find what you’re meant to do, you’ll know it.  And this is without a doubt… what I’m meant to do.”

·    For her 50^th birthday, Rachel O’Neil and her husband embarked on an African safari.  While in Uganda and Malawi, she noticed the torn and tattered clothing of the children there, and wanted to help.  Back at home in Trenton, Michigan, she formed a women’s group to sew dresses for the girls.  Word quickly spread and before long, boxes of dresses from across the US arrived at her home.  Thus far, she has distributed 100,000 dresses to girls in 16 countries, including the US.  She now sends pants to boys as well.

These women are living examples of what is possible when we couple our passion with execution.  What’s important to remember is that it is not the size of the gift or the number of people served, as long as the intention is to make a difference, even for just one person.  I wish you the very best in this New Year.

How will you make a difference in 2011?