2009 Essay Contest Winners

1st PLACE
By Brad Davis, 6th Grade, Lawrence Middle School

Most of us Americans are very lucky people. We have everything anyone could ask for. But there are people who aren’t as privileged as we are. They are the citizens of countries like Mexico, India and Africa. These people need our help, and I think charity is the best way to help.

Even my mom, the spectacular women that she is, was at one time homeless, but thanks to the donating public, she was able to rise up and live a wonderful life. Poverty maybe a big problem in the world, but anyone can help.

Charity is the best way to help the needing people because it is an easy task to accomplish, but it helps a lot. Donations of food or money are helpful, but I think currency donations are better. Food can only be eaten, but money can buy food, clothing or living areas. I once saw a man on the sidewalk who was asking for donations to help his home fund. He needs $100,000 total in order to buy a home for himself. If he collects enough donations, he will be able to buy a home to live in, as opposed to the dirty cold sidewalks.

Like I said before, my mother, who now runs a successful business, was once a poor, lonely child on the streets. She told me that every Thanksgiving, her family would receive a donated turkey and an array of canned foods from the yearly food drives. She still cries when she tells me about it. But, thanks to all these caring people, she stayed healthy and grew up to one day become a master of her art and a loving and giving person.

Poverty is a major problem in this modern world. There are countries full of people who are struggling to get healthy, an education, or even clean water! Charity is the easiest way to help these people become educated, healthy and happy. Charity can be as easy as buying coffee. At some stores part of your sales is donated, which will aid needy people, both nationwide and overseas. With this simple way to aid, everyone can help no matter what.

In conclusion, charities for anything; education, health, food/water can help the many people on our Earth who need it most. From my once poor, now successful mom, to the starving children in Ethiopia, there are people who need your help. Donations are extremely valuable, to be them on food, toys or money. They all help. We all can help steer our world in the right direction just from a donation.

2nd PLACE
By Ilana Pessah, 6th Grade, Lawrence Middle School

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” this famous quote means something different to everyone. Whether it means to always give to charity, don’t waste etc. It always fits into the message that the Sharing brings Hope organization is trying to send. These people want to help everyone from people with cancer to people who have economic problems. The three topics I want to discuss with you are: cancer, how you can help, and charity.

Now I know you probably know about cancer, but what is the real depth of cancer? I know many people who have suffered from this terrible disease. Many years before I was born, my mom got thyroid cancer. They had to remove her thyroid, but lucky for her they had a pill that could replace the function of her thyroid. Now she has to take it everyday. However, I also knew people who weren’t so lucky. Last year a member of my synagogue died from cancer. Joel Shickman was a father of three young children, a husband and a truly wonderful person. He has left us, but his memory hasn’t. Neither has the need to fight back.

But now, what can you, an everyday person do to help fight a world wide disease? Last year my best friend Lauren and I got sick of cancer taking away lives. For awhile, we talked about what we could do. So we took action. We bought a bunch of string and immediately got to work. We have sold over50 friendship bracelets. We have also done lemonade stands and brownie stands. So far we have raised over $150 that will be donated to help find a cure for the horrible disease of cancer.

However bad cancer is, there are other horrible things that can happen to a person. Thousands of people live on the streets or are suffering from economic problems. By giving to charities you can help give to people less fortunate than you. We can also help by volunteering. For example, when I am thirteen, I am going to have my Bat Mitzvah. It has become a tradition to become involved in a charity project as part of the B’nai Mitzvah preparation. So I plan on volunteering at PetSmart and helping with the cat adoptions. Little things like this can make a big difference in someone’s life.

So next time that you find an extra quarter in your pocket, don’t waste it on something you don’t need. Give it to charity. This is a cool tradition that many families, including mine keep. We keep boxes in our house and by the end of the week, the leftover change we have goes in there. The money goes to charity. You could also give stuff you don’t want to a place like Goodwill. Remember, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

3rd PLACE
By So Yeong Lee, 6th Grade, John Burroughs Middle School

Sharing brings hope by promoting the belief that life is worth living. Sharing connects people, allowing relationships to develop and providing hope for each other. Sharing reminds us that we are just as needy as the next person.

Recently, my neighbor’s dog passed away. My mom and I brought roses and consoled her for only five minutes. Still she was very grateful and became more hopeful. I completely understood her pain because I fear for the dog when my dog will pass away. I did not stay with my neighbor for too long but I know that she and I became hopeful.

By this, I learned that sharing is not hard to do. It can be as simple and easy but it still brings hope. There are several ways that you can share. One of them is sharing your clothing or food to people who need them. Most of the schools give us the opportunity by having a can food drive. Also, you can share things that you use daily such as pencils and erasers.

To me sharing brings hope means no matter what it is, if you share, it brings hope and happiness to you and whom you shared with. You and the person who shared
are both happy because that person got what he or she wanted and you are happy to see that you made him or her happy. Sharing is a wonderful thing that can make everyone happy and a more beautiful world.