Street Barbers and Voice Donors

"No one has ever become poor by giving" -Anne Frank

This is one of my favorite quotes.
I would also argue that the naive idealism that may appear inherent in this philosophy is only viable in terms of how most would contextualize the quote; in association with monetary charity. I believe that this subconscious definition of charity really limits people in terms of what they believe they can do to help. I like to think of charity as an act of selfless giving, and I don't feel there necessarily has to be a line drawn between this and random acts of kindness. Charity does not just exist in big operations, and I think associating acts of charity so strongly with donating money to big operations limits those who may not have the funds for this, but have other resources for giving.

Charity can be as simple as lending your voice, as Rupal Patel demonstrates in her moving Ted talk. I like to call this kind of giving "Able Body Charity". It is odd to think about, naturally, but having an able body really isn't the norm- people age, get sick, and some are born with conditions which may make some basic tasks and joys more difficult to achieve. Being healthy and able to give is a blessing, and this is why so often I encounter heroes in blood donor clinics who consistently donate their blood every 3 months for years without a second thought. Helping the ill, the elderly, and the disabled work towards the betterment of their life is charity, and often we do not even think of it as such because it is so easy for us to make soup for an ill friend or help your grandmother carry groceries from the car! This brings me to something I have always deeply believed in; you do not need to solve world hunger to make a difference. You need only do your part, and it can be as easy as being kind and helpful to the people you love.

This man chooses to give homeless people hair cuts in his spare time. One may ask "wouldn't they appreciate money more than a haircut at this point?" and the answer may very well be yes, comparatively they might. However, this man is giving what he has to offer, and he is making a difference by using his skills to do something specific and meaningful for someone. With a hair cut these people can feel more confident and like they deserve to look as clean as everyone else. By providing a service the homeless could not normally afford, this man is also giving these people a charitable gift of a simple pleasure that leaves his clients feeling better about themselves and like they are worth the effort and conversation. Perhaps he doesn't have the skills necessary to build these people shelters or the funds necessary to buy them a meal- but what he does have is a reserve of compassion, the skills of a barber, and the choice to give.

By no means am I implying that donating money to charities is lesser or unnecessary to other ways of giving. Money is universal. Giving money to a charity can feed starving families, support shelters, and fight for human rights. This is known, and supporting big charities is a selfless, wonderful thing to do. However, not everybody has the funds to do so, and just as I have repeated with my other examples, what is important is not giving money to those in need, but giving what you can. Furthermore, I am personally a strong advocate for personal, localized charity where people who are financially stable can give to individuals who just need a break, for lack of a better term. To the people who receive this kind of charity, they can put a face the help they are receiving and they have a faucet through which to be grateful, where they might otherwise see the true compassion people have for each other. This is the case in this video, where people offer to buy the groceries for a woman who is living off food stamps. This act of giving is not just helping a woman feed herself, but also giving her some dignity, which is an invaluable gift to any person and is often a root in charity.   

Give every day. 
Do note waste your resources of compassion, time, and skills. You will feel good about helping others and you will feel great about yourself for your ability to do so. Give what you can, when you can, as much and as often as possible. If you've had a good day go and spread the joy, the wealth, the free time and energy or whatever else strikes you. Whether it is a smile and thanks to a cashier or donating to a cause you believe in- everyone has something to give and nobody has nothing to offer. Giving more has taught me more about self love than any book I'd ever read and any yoga class.

By giving, we are proving to ourselves that we are not worthless, we matter, and we can make a difference.