Helping the Less Fortunate 

By: Jenna Korteling

Have you ever done something to help others? Maybe you’ve done an act of kindness towards someone who may be less fortunate, struggling, or in need. Performing such acts shows who you are and gives you the chance to impact others. This can be done by doing something that seems minor, like making a goal to yourself of saying something nice to someone every day. To add on, bigger things can make all the difference as well. For me, I try to impact others positively when I get the chance. 

One way that I, personally, have tried to make a difference and help others is by contributing peanut butter and jelly. To break that down, the leaders of my Girl Scout troop had organized for each girl to try and help out by participating in a food drive type of event. We were encouraged to bring peanut butter and jelly jars. In this case, the more we brought, the bigger effect we could make. We were instructed to meet and deliver these peanut butter and jelly jars as a group. We went to this place where they accept and appreciate the donated items. In addition, they use peanut butter, jelly, and bread to produce sandwiches. Next, they bring these sandwiches to a soup kitchen in Newark, NJ in order to help others in need. This shows why donating something as simple as a few peanut butter or jelly jars causes somebody to get a meal and not be hungry. 

To conclude, you can make a huge difference by doing simple or impactful things. Contributing to the less fortunate with things that can help them aid their needs is a great way to be involved with acts of kindness. Every act counts and there are many ways to take part in “Teens Making a Difference” other than donating items to others. Something you could do is clean your community or volunteer at a senior center. So, try to take part the next time that you get the chance to help out and make a difference.