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Thirteen Year Old Spreads Spirit of Giving

WASHINGTON, CT (December 21, 2004) - Every year during the holiday season we are reminded of the thing that makes the human spirit so great, our sense of giving. Throughout December, we tend to reach a little deeper and give more to help out a needy neighbor. As one student from The Glenholme School shows us, it is never too early to start helping others.

Alyssa, a 13-year-old student, has just experienced a major event in her life, her Bat Mitzvah. The Bat Mitzvah is the ceremonial occasion that marks the time when a young woman is recognized as an adult in the Jewish community and is responsible for performing mitzvot. As some lucky children experience, friends and family in celebration of this accomplishment showered Alyssa with gifts. Instead of spending her gift money on the things that we would expect a teenager to buy, she surprised all those around her when she began inquiring about a completely different type of purchase.

Alyssa returned to school on Monday seeking out the advice of staff on how she can obtain resources on charity organizations that would benefit kids in impoverished countries. It was Alyssa's goal to donate her gift money to children in need. Alyssa researched several agencies before finding "World Vision"; an organization that allowed her to donate her money in the way that she felt would be most beneficial. World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty.

Alyssa was able to give life-changing gifts by looking through World Vision's Gift Catalog and purchasing a variety of gifts that would benefit families in many ways: a goat (providing a family with fresh milk, cheese and added income when they sell offspring), ducks, fruit trees, blankets, a sheep (that provided wool for soft, warm, and long-lasting clothes), sent a child to school for a year, and helped to outfit 14 people within a village. Alyssa explains, "There are a lot of kids who need help, so if there are a lot of people willing to give, the better it will be."

If donating a large percentage of her gift money to charity wasn't enough, her pursuit in helping others began earlier when planning her Bat Mitzvah party. In lieu of party favors, Alyssa gave a monetary gift to Aspen Animal Shelter in her name. She presented all the guests with a chocolate bar in the shape of a dog bone, accompanied by a small thank you card that informed them of the donation. Alyssa chuckled as she explained that she "had to remind everyone there that they can't feed chocolate to a dog."

The selfless act of community service and spreading the spirit of giving is a duty that even a thirteen-year-old can explain, "I loved the whole process. Everyone should do it because it will make a bigger difference if everyone helps."