Charity

Charity:

• a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)
• a kindly and lenient attitude toward people
• an activity or gift that benefits the public at large
• an institution set up to provide help to the needy wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• In modern usage, the practice of charity means the giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charity_(practice)

I feel like charities/charitable acts have been in the spotlight for the past couple of years. Down in LA I swear everyone owned at least one pair of TOMS, and drank out of eco-friendly metal water bottles. Everyone wants to end world hunger, fight AIDS/HIV in Africa, rebuild Haiti, and a multitude of other things. Now, please don't misunderstand me, I am all for all of these things. I think it's great that America's young people want to stand up and fight for something. I think it's great that businesses are getting involved. I am all for it. Going green (I own a cool eco-friendly metal water bottle), helping orphans, feeding the hungry.

But, what happens when it's no longer trendy? What is really motivating people's generosity? I don't mean to question every single person's motives, but is it really the want to do good and spread love that spurs us on. Or is it simply the cool thing to do?

I personally want to be involved in charitable organizations, and love the idea of them. But that's my heart. I love to help people. Yes, my awareness of what is going on in the world around me was in fact started by this fad. But I'm not going to fade out with the fad. It's not about doing what's cool or in, it's about doing what is right.

So, just think about it. Give yourself a little heart check. Will you fade out when it's not the cool thing anymore? Or has your heart been touched, and this is what you feel is right?