A Feast for Everyone: The Giving Issue
The Editor's Letter
by Jennifer Cooper, posted on January 21st, 2010 in The Giving Issue
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It’s 1989. The Berlin wall came down, Madonna filed for divorce from Sean Penn, Michael Jackson is named King of Pop. Most importantly my eighth grade social studies teacher Mr. Engle issued this challenge: the class that brings in the most cans for the school’s canned food drive receives a free class period and Chinese take-out for lunch. Mmmm, pork fried rice and egg rolls.The gauntlet was cast and kids began to caucus. Each group drew up plans to win the competition and claim the free period as their own.
The next day I met with two other girls from class. Armed with a wagon and the brashness that only 8th graders on the cusp of teendom possesses, we hit up our neighbors for their canned goods donations.
Some gave us money. Note: don’t give 8th grade girls money for a canned food drive—they’ll spend it on french fries and soda to fuel their canned good gathering. Some gave us half eaten tins of candy, some yelled at us to get off their property. But most said, “Hold on a moment. Let me see what I have.” A few moments later they’d return to their door with a can or two for our little red wagon.
That day left an impression on me. I still think about it from time to time all these years later. I’m pretty certain it was my first real charity experience. From it, I learned that most people are just looking for an opportunity to do good. The others? Well, they will yell at you for soliciting and threaten to sic their dogs on you no matter what you say.
Perhaps the experience of that day is what drove me to enter the non-profit world
out of college or why it’s so important to me that I teach my children to share what they have with others. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that afternoon spent collecting cans was meaningful.
In this holiday issue of Classic Play we look at the topic of giving—whether it be a child sharing his toys with a sick friend, a family offering snacks to a Habitat for Humanity crew, or a sister who returns the favor when her sibling finds herself in need of helping hand. And we’re excited to have our friend Joya Logue, designer & founder of joyababy, who recently launched the joyababy bgenerous campaign here to offer some ideas for nurturing our children’s charitable nature.
But first back to 1989. Our class won that Chinese feast. At the time, I was more concerned about shrimp toast and fortune cookies than figuring out how many people we fed through our collections. But now, I look back and see Mr. Engle gave us more than a free period and a free meal. He taught us a lesson I’ve never forgotten—giving is a gift that can last a lifetime.
Happy Giving,
Jen
