I am not rich, and the budget of Empathy is very limited. Regardless of these facts I have made the decision to donate small sums of money to local people and families who I meet on the road. I may have met them, I may have stayed at their home, or it may be entirely anonymous. I consider this micro-philanthropy. In this way I can affect the big picture by playing my small part. It feels good to give, and besides, I do not consider what I have as my own anyway. Anyone who donates to Empathy is giving their funds to this part of the world directly or indirectly.
I remember the story:
A little girl was walking along the sea shore after high tide, and tossing the starfish back into the water. As she was walking she passed a man, who said: "What are you doing?! You do realize that it is impossible to save all those starfish don't you?"
In response she leaned down and picked up a starfish laying at their feet and tossed it back into the waves. "I saved that one."
In this way I am practicing philanthropy. I do not expect to save anyone, or stop poverty, but on a small scale help those in need. |
