Caring for Kids by Amaya

Caring for Kids by Amaya - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

Often times, people forget the number of people within their own community that are in need of help. To keep from being one of those people, I try to stay involved in my community as much as possible. Christmas of 2016, I gave gifts to homeless families and foster children in Atlanta. I went around school collecting shoe boxes and essential items to give to these families; I called this project “Shoebox for Kids.” I collected items like socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap. I ended up with over 70 boxes filled with necessities, bears, and candy to give to these families. I gave about half of the boxes to foster children in Atlanta, and ended up giving the rest to homeless families in Douglasville. Christmas morning, I passed out the leftover boxes, along with food, blankets, and clothes to the underprivileged people in Douglas county. To continue the act of giving, for last year’s Christmas I decided to start a project called “A Book and A Bear.” I collected new or gently used children’s books and teddy bears to give to children who have fallen victim to domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is very real, and victims of domestic abuse, especially children, are hardly ever thought about. I wanted to let these children know that they are loved, and that there are people who truly care for them. This experience taught me so much about how little acts of kindness can mean so much to others; what you do or say can impact others in ways you would never imagine. Caring for and serving those who otherwise can’t care for themselves is way too important of a task for people to forget so often. I’m thankful for each and every opportunity I have been given to be a blessing to someone else, and I hope to instill and others the importance of doing so as well.