I’ve always figured that if I could make someone happy when they were sad or make them smile then I’ve done my job. Going up to people, talking to them, and making friends to just make them smile and be happy has always been my goal; that’s why I decided to join student council. I never did know what I was going in for until I heard about Charity Ball and what it has done for so many people.
My first charity ball was for Interfaith food shuttle. This charity was great. We were helping people by getting money donated to make gardens, build pantries, and make people’s lives better. Together we raised $98,000 which was amazing! Then we continued our journey on to the charity of Learning Together. I remember going into the school and seeing all those smiling children who were just bursting with energy and laughter. We played with the kids on the playground, and I had felt so much joy that I had never felt before. These kids made me happy and I wanted to make them happy along with student council kids and everybody in the community by accomplishing our great goal of raising $118,000. Now I am here to accomplish another great goal: to raise $120,000 for Urban Ministries.
I’ve heard about Urban Ministries before through my mom but never fully understood what they did. Then the director of the charity, Peter Morris, came in to talk about the charity. He talked and I listened and it finally hit me that this is how we make people happy, this is how we can contribute to this giving world, this is how we change the world. This charity highlights three major problems in our community and they are trying to change it. Health, hunger and homelessness are things that happen everyday in our lives, and to think that people don’t receive opportunities that most people take for granted is wrong and needs to be changed.
To everyone reading this, I challenge you to go out and research this great charity. Go out and volunteer at Urban Ministries and donate. To try and raise $120,000 is crazy, but I believe it can be done. I believe we can raise more. While I encourage you to help us raise money for this great charity, I most importantly challenge you to find happiness in knowing that you are helping people beyond words.
Be happy and stay lit!!
Rishi Desai
Junior class Senator