2008 Woodie Awards
If Oprah can do it, so can we
By: Jeremy Homan
Issue date: 12/4/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Over the holidays many of us spend a lot of time and money on our family and friends to show how much we care, but what about those less fortunate than ourselves?
Consistent with the 2000 census, 12.4 percent of the population nationwide is below the poverty line. According to chicagohomeless.org there, are approximately 166,000 homeless people in the Chicago area alone.
Think about those hundreds of thousands of people this holiday season who will wake up Christmas morning with nothing under the tree and barely anything to eat. Those are the people that can use a little extra love and help this season, even from perfect strangers.
Recently, Oprah Winfrey tried to do just that. After passing out $1,000 gift cards to members of her audience, Winfrey told them to spend the entire grand on complete strangers; it was truly remarkable what her audience managed to do.
The offerings ranged from donating money to charities and sending gifts to soldiers in Iraq, all the way to raising over $70,000 for a family of 11 whose father is dying from cancer.
She called this the gift of giving back, and that idea is extremely inspiring.
I'm not saying to give away your life savings this season. I don't know of many people who can spare more than a few dollars, whether they're college students or not. But it's not difficult to give what little you can.
Toss your extra change into the Salvation Army buckets outside of your favorite store, or if you see someone on the side of the street buy them a hamburger or give them a blanket. Even if your funds are seriously lacking, spend some time at a soup kitchen or clean out your closet and donate clothing, jackets or gloves to a local shelter.
In the words of Oprah, "Imagine the love and kindness you can spread with $1,000."
Even if its not $1,000, think about the smile you could put on another's face with a simple contribution from the heart.
After all, the holiday season is a time for giving.
Consistent with the 2000 census, 12.4 percent of the population nationwide is below the poverty line. According to chicagohomeless.org there, are approximately 166,000 homeless people in the Chicago area alone.
Think about those hundreds of thousands of people this holiday season who will wake up Christmas morning with nothing under the tree and barely anything to eat. Those are the people that can use a little extra love and help this season, even from perfect strangers.
Recently, Oprah Winfrey tried to do just that. After passing out $1,000 gift cards to members of her audience, Winfrey told them to spend the entire grand on complete strangers; it was truly remarkable what her audience managed to do.
The offerings ranged from donating money to charities and sending gifts to soldiers in Iraq, all the way to raising over $70,000 for a family of 11 whose father is dying from cancer.
She called this the gift of giving back, and that idea is extremely inspiring.
I'm not saying to give away your life savings this season. I don't know of many people who can spare more than a few dollars, whether they're college students or not. But it's not difficult to give what little you can.
Toss your extra change into the Salvation Army buckets outside of your favorite store, or if you see someone on the side of the street buy them a hamburger or give them a blanket. Even if your funds are seriously lacking, spend some time at a soup kitchen or clean out your closet and donate clothing, jackets or gloves to a local shelter.
In the words of Oprah, "Imagine the love and kindness you can spread with $1,000."
Even if its not $1,000, think about the smile you could put on another's face with a simple contribution from the heart.
After all, the holiday season is a time for giving.
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