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By Brent Budowsky
You know the feeling. You hear about your grandchild's shining report card or the thoughtful thing he or she did for the neighbor and you're beaming. That's your grandchild doing right by others and caring for the world. And, of course they picked up that do-gooder gene from you. In this column, we will highlight the grandkids nationwide that make all of us proud.
Concerts for a Cause: Do-gooders Unite
Kids such as Bobby Nixon brighten America's future.
I met 10-year-old Bobby at an Earth Day concert held in the nation's capital. The show, while aimed primarily at young people, brought three generations together in support of one cause: global warming. When Carole King took to the stage, the younger kids belted out the lyrics, lung for lung, alongside their baby boomer counterparts.
Bobby told me his plan for tackling global warming:
"I am collecting every e-mail address in my class and putting everyone on the list for the Virtual Global Warming march," said Bobby with purpose.
And when he's not busy with that, he's collecting and saving his allowance. Why? So he can buy lightbulbs for his classmates to encourage them to save energy.
Carol, a freshman at George Washington University, wasn't just singing along at the concert. As a member of Green GW, a campus group that speaks out against pollution, she was manning a booth and distributing materials.
"If every one of us would do just one thing," said Carol as she handed me a leaflet, "the result would be huge."
Back on campus, Carol and her friends encourage college students to turn off lights when they exit rooms, reuse water bottles, take the stairs instead of elevators, and use paper over plastic.
Grandkids Worthy of Greatness
Countless other grandkids nationwide are making a positive impact on the world, too. The Kids Who Care program, founded by Kohl's, not only shines a light on young people such as Jeanine de Leon-Maestas of Tulsa, O.K., but awards them $5,000 scholarships toward post-secondary education and donates $1,000 to the non-profit of their choice.
The 13-year-old educated local civic groups about forest fires and after, would sell Smokey the Bear pins - that she purchased with her allowance. Jeanine raised $250, which she opted to donate to a wildlife relief organization.
Eighth-grader Hilary Montana, a fellow Kohl's honoree, donated the back-to-school supplies she collected to Helping Other People Emerge, a community center that supports impoverished families.
"Each and every one of us has been given a gift, and we should share it," said Hilary, who first started volunteering with her parents when she was 6 years old.
Roll up your sleeves with your grandkids
It's likely your grandkids have a cause that they care about as much as Bobby, Carol, Hilary, and Jeanine. Talk with your grandkids and ask them what clubs or groups they're involved with, and if you can join them on a family-shared community service project.
If you live far away from your grandkids, e-mail them questions asking if and how they help their communities. Or, bring up these topics at family gatherings and let them know that they, too, can do great things by helping others in need.
Each of the young people mentioned here harbors a true generosity. At very young ages, they've found creative ways to get involved and contribute to their communities. By doing so, they have touched thousands - even millions - of lives.
Let Us Hear from You
"Kids that Make Grandparents Proud" will be a regular feature on Grandparents.com.
Look for more newsletters and stories about the grandkids that make us shine with pride. We'll also keep you posted about other companies that, like Kohl's, honor amazing kids. This way, you can nominate your grandkids!
We'd like to hear from you about what great citizens your grandkids are shaping up to be. Send stories about your grandsons and granddaughters to makeusproud@grandparents.com, and we may select your story for publication. In special cases, we will try to nominate your grandkids for awards we learn about.
Stay tuned to Grandparents.com so you can meet more grandkids who make us proud ... and the grandparents who inspired them.
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