Follow My Lead...
- November 16, 2011 - 8:31 pm
- Beyond the Cafe
- 0 Comment
Carter Haber, a student preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, was looking for a community service project when he heard that the kids at Samaritan House last year would be without Christmas gifts. So the industrious 13-year old took it upon himself to not let that happen. He 'adopted' all 53 kids, he wrote down their wishes and he went door-to-door to gather donations. (Note: actual donations exceeded what was needed to buy gifts, the balance went to the supportive housing program) Carter enlisted his family members to help with shopping, checking carefully to be sure each child would receive the gift they most wanted. He then spoke with family and friends about donating wrapping paper and ribbons and wrapped every single one of those presents himself.
Listening to Carter speak at the annual Samaritan House Out of the Box luncheon today, just reminded me that it is not always the magnitude of the effort, but the compassion behind it that resonates. This sweet boy did not even want credit, he insisted that the gifts be given by an 'anonymous donor'.
When the reporter asked Carter if he thought it was strange to be gathering Christmas gifts as a Bar Mitzvah project, his response was
A good deed is a good deed, anytime, anywhere.
This compassionate young man, stood up today and inspired a room full of community leaders with his leadership. His mom simply asks that we follow his lead. Z's Cafe hopes to follow this lead every day. It is our mission to reach out and inspire others to make connections that make a difference. We'd love to recognize other community-minded young people as part of our 'Beyond the Cafe' news series. Share your stories with us!
