In a society made up of profits and benefits today, it is common for people to only do things for their own personal gains. So why would we need to do charity?

I have to be honest and say that as a 15 year old girl, I have yet to make any substantial donation in my life. I have only given 10-20 RMB (2-3 dollars) here and there to a few fundraisers I have seen online. The truth is for one, as a young child I didn’t have a lot of money, and two, I didn’t actually understand it until my dad sent stationeries and books to poor children in the Tibetan mountains 5 years ago . I couldn’t understand why my dad would choose to give away so much money to kids he didn’t even know. I mean shouldn’t he use that money to buy  toys for me instead？!

My father sat me down and told me there are people of different ages and backgrounds in our world. Kind gestures should not only be done out of the instinctive pursuit of kindness but should also come from the realization of the disadvantages that are present in our society today. It shouldn’t be a matter of whether we want to do it, or are able to do it, we should all have the sense of responsibility to just do it! Not only should we do it, we should bring people around us to all participate as well. The time we get more people involved in doing good deeds will be the time we have taken a huge step towards improving an issue we have with our society today. 

I used to think that you needed to be rich in order to do charity, and my family would be exempt from it.  But as I became older, I learned that doing good deeds isn’t about the amount you could afford to give, but more about how you felt about it in your heart. I think the inspiration for doing charity is mainly about love and the feeling that you are doing something meaningful for somebody out there. 

I believe due to the influence of my father, I grew up to be extra sympathetic toward others. I think people who want to do charity are genuinely good people who  don’t do it for fame, but actually want to help those in need! I’m happy about the fact that I have developed the habit of supporting fundraisers I see online, as well as  underprivileged people I see on the streets. 

One of the most unforgettable events occurred right at the beginning of the  epidemic, when my family went to Sanya to celebrate New Year’s Eve. But due to the unexpected disaster we didn’t have enough masks available. At that time, many people risked their lives purchasing masks from Japan, and my father was no exception. However, he didn’t just buy enough masks for our family, but also got tens of thousands of masks for hospitals and other people in my hometown in Hebei. 

Even though everyone of my family member was extremely worried about his safety, we were all extremely supportive of what he actually did. 

I have learned everything I know about charity from my dad, and to sum it up in one sentence. “Charity shouldn’t be about money, but about wanting to love, care, and making the world a better place for everybody.”. I hope you enjoyed my article and is ready to make changes to whatever cause you feel strongly towards as well!