Dreams for Kids

Dear Readers,

I am thrilled to be posting my first entry as a Dreams for Kids intern! I am excited to start this amazing opportunity and see what doors it will open for me in my life.

The things I see that truly inspire me: human kindness and strength. Instead of writing about things I’ve done, I have collected two stories that I have read that have motivated me to be a better person.

Story #1: I read this Seattle Times article in December, 2007 and was reminded instantly of the movie Pay It Forward.  The story involves a chain of an estimated 500 customers in a drive-through at Starbucks.  Each customer paid for their holiday drinks, and those of the vehicle behind them. Often, the customers would give extra money, which all went to the Starbucks holiday toy drive.

Story #2: In December 2008, Brad Hennerfer, a teenager with down –syndrome became the boys basketball manager at his high school. Soon, he was getting playing time, and winning games by shooting many three-pointers for his team. This story is amazing and is a true testament to the statement: you can do anything you put your mind to! Also, the story shows how a community supports a young kid with many dreams!
New York Times article & Youtube video

In closing, these are just two examples in the world of how we can support and show kindness to those in the world. Even a small latte can make a difference in the world.

‘Til next time!

Victoria

Name someone/thing that inspires you….

I’m inspired by simple things like an unexpected smile, or a child taking your hand. I think the most inspirational things come from a simple idea/ action that just catches fire.

As for a person that inspires me, I would have to say it is my mother. She is an only parent and she has always been a strong hard working successful woman and I can only hope to be at least a little bit like her.

How will you contribute to the mission of Dreams for Kids?

In my role as social media coordinator, I just want to get the word out about the great things that Dreams for Kids is doing. It’s a great thing to see these kids take control of their future by simply understanding taking stock of what they’ve experienced and overcome in the short time that they’ve been alive and seeing the value in those experiences.  

 What fuels your passion?

I enjoy promoting other peoples passions. It gives me joy to see dreams realized.
 

What meaningful volunteer experience you inspired to give back?

 I tutored some inner-city kids and really began to see firsthand how the community can be just as responsible for the kid as the parent can.

Holdiay for Hope Coordinator Diana Cheng:

I decided to apply to the Dreams for Kids internship because I absolutely fell in love with the organization and its mission after looking at their website.  The Dreams for Kids mission is such an important and meaningful one because I believe that everyone deserves a chance to pursue their biggest goals and live life to the fullest.  Dreams for Kids not only helps youths realize their dreams, but also encourages them to enjoy life.

Throughout my life I have always enjoyed volunteering my time for different causes.  However, I was most inspired to get involved and give back to my community by my volunteer experience in Tijuana, Mexico in 2005.  My team and I spent a week in a community orphanage organizing games and activities for the children who lived there.  We also helped build a house for a family in the community.  It was during this short time that I saw how much our time and help really touched the lives of the children in the orphanage as well as those in the community.  I don’t think I realized it at the time, but looking back on it I wish that the children and the community could see how much they have touched my life.  They helped me realize, as cheesy as it sounds, what is actually important in life.  The children in the orphanage woke up every day with more weight on their shoulders than most of us carry in a lifetime, and yet they did not go about their lives sulking and feeling sorry for themselves.  Instead they had smiles on their faces and lived each day with fervor that I still sometimes have trouble understanding.  Their positive attitudes in the face of such adversity is what kept them going and it is this positive attitude that truly inspired me.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.”  I hope that by working with Dreams for Kids, I can reach out to even just one youth we work with and pass on the positive attitude that I learned from the children in Tijuana.