Contrary to all the bad press permeating mainstream media today about the young folks of America ⁠— their bullying, sexting, drugs, alcohol and all sorts of bad behavior ⁠— I believe in the youth and the good they do. I believe in their power to make their mark on our gigantic globe ⁠— NOW.

What I don’t believe in is the seemingly innocent question you and I are too often guilty of asking: “What do you want to do when you grow up?” While I’m sure the intent behind this question is to spark curiosity, hope, or perhaps some forward thinking and goal-setting, I know that our future, our youth, can make an impact now.

Don’t believe me? Just check out some of our Go Inspire Go (GIG) stories about the inspiring youth of America like Lily Gordon, a teenager who is working on beating hunger in Tanzania, or Phoebe Russell who enabled the San Francisco Food Bank to give out more than 140,000 meals, or the band students from San Jose, Calif., who were inspired by this GIG video to orchestrate a winter concert to help Rev. Lemaire Alerte of the Haitian Evangelical Church in Jersey City, N.J., accomplish his dream of building a school in Haiti.

The folks at Youth Service of America (YSA), the world’s largest and longest-running youth service campaign, share the sentiment ⁠— kids have the power to make a difference today.

This weekend, from April 15-17, millions of youth around the world, spanning 100 countries and six continents, will join YSA to celebrate Global Youth Service Day. Witness the wonderful work and service of children and communities working in unison to solve the world’s problems. From elementary school students’ flash mobs in Turkey highlighting the world’s water woes to Georgian kids building playgrounds to enrich local families and communities, I invite you to inspire the youth in your life to take action and be the change. Encourage them to participate in Global Youth Service Day.

As adults, I believe it is our filial duty to give back, inspire and challenge our youth to do better for themselves and others.

One of my favorite quotes is from Desmond Tutu, Angelican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa: “The ocean is made up of individual drops of water.”

We are each a single drop of water moving together to create waves, to create change. My question to you is: Where do you see yourself (and the youth in your life) in the sea of change?

What can YOU do?

Onward,
Toan

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One small act can truly change the world.

Just ask Phoebe, a six-year-old first grader who inspired her community to enthusiastically support her aluminum can and letter writing fundraising campaign. After seeing homeless people in her San Francisco neighborhood when she was in preschool, she felt two things: sadness and a desire to help. She eventually inspired contributions to cover 135,000 meals for the needy, donated by the San Francisco Food Bank. First Lady Michelle Obama also wrote her a personal note to congratulate her.

Then there’s Caitlin Boyle, whose operation is beautiful from the inside out. After having a bad self-esteem moment (who doesn’t have those?), what’s a girl to do? Do something kind for others. Not everyone would conclude, or put this positive thought into action. Caitlin scribbled, “You are beautiful” on a piece of paper and stuck it on the mirror of the public bathroom at her community college in Florida. She blogged about the experience. Worldwide response action ensued with readers posting their own notes. As fate would have it, those words of encouragement turned around days for weary folks. Some smiled and in some cases, some recipients of the random note decided not to commit suicide.

In New York, Jorge Munoz, a school bus driver, has been cooking, packing and delivering food to the 140+ hungry people who wait under a subway stop in Queens, New York every night at 9:30. For many years, he’s used half of his weekly salary of $700 to buy food and supplies. Then, CNN, Go Inspire Go and other media outlets shared his story.

Hungry for more? The Yahoo! For Good do-gooders asked me to report and blog about 10 Inspiring Acts of 2010, where we featured 10 folks, including the three above, who did one small act of kindness that rippled out to big changes!

This was an epiphany for me because of my sordid childhood.

Growing up in the ghetto as an immigrant from Vietnam, all 10 of my family members crammed into a small trailer. People said “Wow, that sucks.” However, if you ask any of my family members, they’ll tell you quite the contrary. My mom says, “We were so happy, we were safe, all together and we clung onto hope and opportunity.”

Books were my passport out of the ghetto. I voraciously read every single thing I could find. I remember even reading the shampoo bottle in the bathroom out loud everyday as a kid. Many of the words I’ve learned became my everyday vernacular. I tried very carefully not to slip up and use words like “enamored” around the neighborhood bullies. I was unsuccessful. The neighborhood kids would often say, “$##*!” why you tryin’ to be white?” (I never could understand why being able to conjugate my verbs and speaking in complete sentences meant that I was acting white.)

I let them have my power.

They stole my voice and I became quiet — until college — that’s when I realized that through my voice, was my gift, my power.

In red ink, my expository writing teacher, Carolyn Weber wrote on one of my papers: “You are a gifted and talented writer. I hope you do something with it in your life.” This woke me up. It created a shift. Against my parent’s behest — to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer — I went on to do TV news, but was still unfulfilled after 10 years in the biz.

The biggest gift given to me in my adult life was being laid off from my big market TV reporting gig. During a run shortly after being axed, I “woke up” and decided to make a drastic move. As soon as I realized the intent and meaning in my life, clarity followed. I promised myself that I would eat out less, shop less and take a year off of work to use my gift for storytelling to give back. I did not have a huge savings. I was worried about how I would make ends meet after a few months. I was not rich, am not rich and have turned down many lucrative jobs to continue my mission. To pay the bills, I teach two days a week at a local university. The small YouTube channel became Go Inspire Go aka GIG. Since launching GIG year and a half ago, so many miracles — large and small — have transpired. I’ve met so many amazing people who did one small thing, that created big changes. I’ve also crossed paths with those who helped complete the circle of giving, those who were inspired to reach out and help the inspiring people we’ve featured.

My new GIG allows me to be the voice for the voiceless. With every story, every blog, I try to inspire my viewers/readers to do what I did: “Discover and use their power (talents, gift, network, etc.) to help others.”

This holiday season, give the best gift of all — yourself. I hope you’re inspired by my Yahoo! 2010 Inspiring Acts blog.

Be inspired. Take action. For more inspirational stories go to Go Inspire Go.

What can YOU do?

The post Small Acts. Big Changes. What Can YOU Do? appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

Meet Ethan, Emily and Sophia — three of the youngest humanitarians you may ever meet. Taking the lead from Phoebe, their kindergarten predecessor, they have raised money, rallied resources and heightened visibility (about hunger in their community) to enable the San Francisco Food Bank to serve more than 135,000 meals.

It all started a year ago, when Phoebe was in kindergarten (she is now in first grade). Phoebe saw homeless and hungry people in her community and asked her mother, “Why do they look so sad and dirty?” Her mother explained homelessness and hunger to her.

Phoebe knew two things: that it made her sad and that she wanted to help. She enlisted the help of her teacher, Kathleen Albert and her classmates. Her goal was to raise $1,000 in two months. Phoebe was determined to collect aluminum cans and recycle them for cash because that’s what she and her older sister did for fun. The then five-year-old decided the money raised would be donated to the SF Food Bank. She hand wrote letters and mailed them out to 150 family, friends and community members.

“Caaans? What are you talking about?” Albert said in disbelief. “I thought five cents a can, one thousand dollars. It was unrealistic. But Phoebe was adamant about it.”

At first, a few cans trickled in, then thousands showed up at the preschool’s door step. Checks and envelopes stuffed with cash were also jammed into the mailbox. The community got excited. Businesses matched donations.

Phoebe raised $3,736.30 by her deadline, enough for the S.F. Food Bank to feed nearly 18,000 people.

Albert held a party to celebrate the donation. Go Inspire Go (GIG) attended, created and posted a video. At the end of the video, GIG challenged the viewers with this statement: “If a 5-year-old could raise enough to feed nearly 18,000 people, what can YOU do? Please make a donation to the San Francisco Food bank, and tell them Phoebe sent you.”

Other media outlets shared Phoebe’s philanthropic project. GIG’s video went viral, and amassed more than 30,000 views. Six months later, the S.F. Food Bank wrote GIG, with an update: the money raised spiked to $20,202, or about 80,000 meals. Additionally GIG sent the video to Tyson Foods’ Hunger Relief Challenge, which led to the company’s donation of 15 tons of chicken. Now more than 120,000 meals could be served.

This inspirational story gets better! Before the end of the school year, Phoebe’s preschool protégés, Ethan, Emily and Sophia were moved by Phoebe’s philanthropic spirit.

“I like helping other people,” Ethan said. “I don’t like seeing hungry people,” explained Sophia. “We asked other people to help,” Emily said.

Albert said the three worked together relentlessly to write letters, count the change and smash dozens of bags full of cans. They even came up with their own campaign slogan, inspired by President Barack Obama: “Yes We Can!”

And yes, they did! The grand total so far: $5,479.05.

Thanks to Ethan, Emily, Sophia and Phoebe, their small altruistic act of goodness means more than 135,000 meals can be shared in their community.

If four five-year-olds could inspire 135,000 meals, what can YOU do this holiday season? As our little philanthropic phenoms will tell you — yes you can!

To make a donation to the San Francisco Food Bank, click here!

* Phoebe’s mother told me that First Lady, Michelle Obama wrote Phoebe a letter to thank her for her generosity. No telling if Mrs. Obama will reach out to Ethan, Emily and Sophia.

Related Stories:
–6-Year-Old Inspires Movement; 120,000+ Meals Served
–A Week of Surprises
–Giving a little, gaining A LOT! Feeding Your Spirit this Holiday Season

The post Four Kindergarteners Inspire 135,000 Meals for the Needy appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

Take a close look at the photo of the young lady on my blog — her name is Phoebe Russell. Although I’ve had some amazing teachers in my more than three decades on this earth, I can truly say that Miss Russell is the best teacher I’ve ever had when it comes to the true meaning of “service.” No, nothing is wrong with your eyes and no, this is not a picture of her from way back when she was youthful. Phoebe is 6-years-old. Since meeting her last year, she has taught me a lot about life and about fitting into this world as an “adult.”

I met Phoebe when she was 5-years-old through our friends at the San Francisco Food Bank. I created this video for my inspirational website GoInspireGo.com on her project to feed the hungry.

Phoebe’s mother told me in a way that made me feel humble, “There’s always little things that we can do in our daily life that makes a huge difference for other people. The project started off as a small thing. Phoebe’s taught me, you got to just do it.” That’s when I realized how deep Phoebe’s wisdom was, even at this tender age.

While on the way to school, she saw some homeless people on the street. She became curious. “I was sad,” she told me in timid voice. So she did what kids are good at — she asked questions — which led to a movement that, to this date, has fed about 120,000 people in her community.

“Why do they look so sad?” she inquired inquisitively. “And how do we help them?” Her parents explained that the food bank helps feed hungry people. She became determined to raise money for the food bank by collecting cans, recycling them and cashing them in for money.

Phoebe innocently told me, “It makes me sad because they have no food and shelter. Me my dad and sister would go to whole foods… we would have this big bag of cans and we would turn them in to get money, so I wanted to collect cans.”

With the help of her preschool teacher, Phoebe reached out to her network — during recess, she hand wrote, signed and sent letters to family and friends. Her goal was ambitious — you might say impossible — for a 5-year-old, but then again what do grown-ups know anyway?

To say the project gained momentum is an understatement.

Family, friends, the media shared her story… which led to a ripple effect of giving. Within two months, Phoebe raised $3,736.30. According to the S.F. Food Bank, that’s enough to feed nearly 18,000 people.

The news gets better.

I featured Phoebe’s video on GoInspireGo.com and it went viral immediately, with more than 26,000 viewers from all corners of the world. YouTube comments and emails poured in. Parents, churches and other community groups contacted our team to say they were sharing our blog and video with their children (as bedtime stories) and during sermons and meetings. I could see a shift happening — people were inspired by Phoebe’s actions to act.

Fast-forward six months.

I received an email from Gayle Keck, a media manager at the S.F. Food Bank. The total from Phoebe’s project: $20,202!” That’s enough to feed 90,000 people.

Get ready to keep on smiling… yes, this story does get better.

Go Inspire Go submitted the video to Tyson Foods Hunger Relief Challenge. Phoebe became the “Tyson Hunger All-Star.” A title that comes with a donation of 15 tons of chicken!

That means the S.F. Food Bank is able to feed 120,000 people in the community.

Wow!

This isn’t just a civics lesson to her peers; Phoebe taught us big kids a thing or two, as well.

Tyson’s Ed Nicholson said in his 15-years with the company, Phoebe is the one who left a life-long lasting impression on him. “This is to recognize unlikely people in unlikely places doing extraordinary things. I think Phoebe is one of the most unlikely we’ve run across and perhaps doing one of the most extraordinary things,” Nicholson said, in a voice with so much excitement, I thought he had won the contest.

Paul Ash, executive director of the S.F. Food Bank, was blown away, too. He told me, “We’ve never had someone this young do this much. We certainly have volunteers, come in with parents, but no one so young who moved something along so independently and with such great results.

Little Phoebe taught me some big lessons in life as well.

First off, you don’t have to be rich, famous or even experienced (that’s my nice way of saying old) to give back. Small acts of kindness matter in a big way. It’s amazing to see Phoebe in her “zone” and working in the spirit of service, with only one goal: to help others.

I also learned to unlearn things that we’re told constantly as we “get older.” Just over a year ago, I started my Go Inspire Go project. My mission was to set up a global platform for people to see and share inspiring stories. My vision is for viewers to be inspired to use their own resources and talents to help others.

Along the way, we’ve inspired and empowered people to help those featured through our call to action. (There are links at the end of every story on how they could be a part of the change.)

More than once, I almost put the project on pause because I was constantly inundated with people asking me, “You’re doing what? Okaaay,” and “How are you going to monetize this?” “You need to have a business plan, now.”

I admit, there were times when I felt like giving up. But people sent story ideas my way…which touched the journalist in me. (My parents wanted me to nix the journalism thing and become a doctor — but what old-school Asian parent doesn’t want their children to wear scrubs and make more moola?) That’s when I just started doing what I knew best — connect, inspire and empower people through my stories, which led to the vision of my project.

More than a year later, I am still humbled, amazed and intrigued by the fact that children like Phoebe are uninhibited and just take risks. As you see in the first video link above, kids dance shamelessly, freely and unabashed. Kids believe they’re artists, singers and astronauts.

But what happens to us when we get older?

Aren’t we supposed to get wiser? More connected? How many times have people put up roadblocks on the path to your dreams? How many times have you been told, “You want to be an artist?” or “How are you going to pay your bills?” While these are valid questions I had to ask myself every day as I took on this project, I learned to cut back, ask questions and Rubik’s Cube my opportunities to work for me.

I don’t make a lot of money and still work part-time to work on this project, fueled with hope, passion and compassion.

As I sit here at Starbucks and blog, I wonder how many artists, singers and astronauts out there who “could’ve been,” but were thwarted one way or another?

The world is a big place, we are very small. But the opportunities are vast, limitless — and within our reach.

So with no shame, I’m proud to say, I learned a lot from little Phoebe. Even though it took some imagination, a shift in my thinking to see life through the lens of a 5-year-old. Or as Phoebe corrected me recently, “I’m 6-and-a-half!”

Boy, I’ve got a lot to learn!

Related Stories:
–Four Kindergarteners Inspire 135,000 Meals for the Needy
–A Week of Surprises
–Giving a little, gaining A LOT! Feeding Your Spirit this Holiday Season

The post 6-Year-Old Inspires Movement; 120,000+ Meals Served appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

A WOW update to share with everyone right off the bat: As I write, I am grinning from ear to ear! Just got an email from Gayle Keck, the media spokesperson from the San Francisco Food Bank regarding a story my organization Go Inspire Go produced this year about Phoebe, the 5-year-old girl who raised enough money to feed thousands of people in her community. Phenomenal Phoebe’s goal was to raise $1,000, in the end, she raised 18 times that amount! According to the SF Food Bank, that’s enough to cook a whopping 81,074 meals! Yes, that’s right, 81,074 meals! All thanks to a five-year-old girl who wanted to do what she could to help feed the hungry in her community.

Here’s an excerpt of the exciting e-mail:

Hi Toan:

Happy Holidays!
First off, I’ve got to tell you we just totaled up the donations we’ve gotten from people supporting Phoebe and her cause. It’s up to $18,647!
So thanks again for everything you did to share Phoebe’s story.

And many thanks to GIG for sharing Phoebe’s story with the world!

Wishing you, your family and everyone on your team a very joyous holiday season — and a blockbuster 2010!!!

Big hugs,
Gayle

Here’s the video in case you missed it — Please share!

On another note I just got a call from a Go Inspire Go (GIG) viewer from San Jose. “Lee” told me that during every holiday season she sends a $300 check to CityTeam Ministries, a local charity that collects food and monetary donations to feed the hungry.

After sharing many of our GIG videos throughout the year, Lee would think about what she could do to help others. After months of thinking, she took action: she informed me that this year, GIG’s vision — Every person will be inspired to use their talents and resources to better someone’s life or better their community — moved her to do something. So, she and her co-workers went to the Costco and bought food and organized a free lunch. They asked for a suggested donation of five dollars. At the end of the lunch, they raised $313. So this year, Lee can add this to her original donation, which totals $613!

The goodness keeps on spreading. Lee tells me everyone was so excited about the idea, while mingling over the meal, everyone brainstormed more “lunches” in the coming months to raise money for local charities. Lee and her co-workers originally set out to feed dozens of hungry families in her community — they didn’t realize how this good deed would impact and connect them on so many levels. Now, this small act of kindness will continue to have a bigger impact for those in need as they continue these so-called “service-lunches.”

Here’s an excerpt from her e-mail:

Hi Everyone,
I would like to take this time to thank everyone for all your help and contributions, we were able to collect a total of $313 in donation to CityTeam Ministries from the salad lunch buffet. I sent the letter and check this morning to CityTeam.
This effort was inspired my friend who started the Go Inspire Go website to help inspire people to go out and donate your time and/or money to others, especially in this stressful economic time and season. If you need inspiration this season please check out this website www.goinspirego.com.
Here’s the CitiTeam website for you information. http://www.cityteam.org/sanjose/
Thank you,

Lee

Amazing stuff! This year has been especially rewarding for Go Inspire Go. One year ago, I was laid off from my TV reporting GIG in San Francisco. I asked myself a simple question that has had an immeasurable impact on my life (through the stories, lifelong friends I’ve created through this project) and on this journey of service. My gratitude list exceeded everything I could’ve dreamed for this project in the short nine months of its existence: Being featured on AOL, ABC’s Good Morning America and Yahoo! and being asked by Arianna Huffington to blog about my passion — to inspire people to take action.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, wrapping gifts and preparing dinners, please stop for a minute — just one minute — and take a deep breath and ask yourself: What can I do?

I promise you, if you seriously sit down and ask yourself this question and put your thoughts into action, your life — your lens — will change in ways you could have never dreamed. When you give a little, you gain a lot more than you’ll ever imagine. No matter how little you have — you’ll realize how much you really have, especially the power to inspire, empower and uplift humanity. Happy holidays!

Simple steps to give this holiday season:

What can you do to make an impact on your community? Like Phoebe and Lee showed us, it doesn’t have to be a BIG project and it doesn’t entail donating a lot of money.

Here are some ideas:
• Before your holiday dinner, can you round up the family to cook and serve meals to the needy at a local homeless shelter? I bet your children will remember this experience more than any gift you’ll give them.
• Gather your friends and sign up as a volunteer group at the Food Bank or your favorite charity and give your time to help someone who is in need.
• Ditch the Christmas gifts, instead, donate to a charity in your friends’ and family’s name.
• Ask around: Is there anyone who needs help in your neighborhood? Is there a kid who needs an old laptop you have lying around? Can you visit an elderly person just to say “Happy Holidays” and offer to mow the lawn.
• Check out our stories on our YouTube page and reach out to donate a few bucks or volunteer your time to their cause.
• Send stories or a donation to Go Inspire Go.

Related Stories:
–6-Year-Old Inspires Movement; 120,000+ Meals Served
–Four Kindergarteners Inspire 135,000 Meals for the Needy
–A Week of Surprises

The post Giving a little, gaining A LOT! Feeding Your Spirit this Holiday Season. appeared first on Go Inspire Go.

After being invited to be a regular blogger by the Huffington Post (Living Section) people around the world started linking to the blog and video; India, Hong Kong, Sweden…

My first blog was about 5-year-old Phoebe, from San Francisco. Her compassion for homeless and hungry people in her community sparked a project. Her goal: to raise $1,000 for the San Francisco Food Bank in two months. Her goal was exceeded and she ended up feeding more than 18,000 people!!! Check out our video:

Here’s a quick update from the SF Food Bank:
***So far, according to the SF Food Bank, they’ve received $492 from 14 donors who have either gone in through the Phoebe Fund link on our homepage or made a donation in tribute to Phoebe!

Also, they’ve had donations from Louisiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Minnesota and other areas outside of California since our story went live here on the Huff!

So awesome! Way to go everyone and Phoebe! ***

The blog quickly became one of the Top 5 on the whole website, then the media caught on and our video went viral! Thousands of hits and comments/videos/etc., ensued…

We’ve been getting emails and nods from around the globe! Awesome!

This is the affirmation the GIG team and the media and world needed. When I started this project, last March, I thought, if I could just help one person, or a hand full of people in my community, then the project would’ve been a success in my eyes. So it brings tears to my eyes that this project went global, thanks everyone for sharing and please continue to:

1.) Share the videos and website www.GoInspireGo.com
2.) Bookmark or link to our site
3.) Make a small donation via PayPal acct. on the front page of our website!

*Meanwhile, I just finished my 2nd blog about an amazing real life angel in New York. Stay tuned…

GO Inspire GO Press

TONIC.com
Holisticasia.com

Alyssa Milano tweeted us:

@Alyssa_Milano (aka “Phoebe Halliwell”, the SF witch from Charmed – the irony!)
RT’d the story to her followers…all 135,000+

Current TV
Yahoo Buzz
AOL — Good News Now (GNN)
The Huffington Post
Growing Edge
Democratic Underground

Related Stories:
–6-Year-Old Inspires Movement; 120,000+ Meals Served
–Four Kindergarteners Inspire 135,000 Meals for the Needy
–Giving a little, gaining A LOT! Feeding Your Spirit this Holiday Season

The post Go Inspire Go Goes Global, Rolling out weekly GIG blogs for Huffington Post & Thank You! appeared first on Go Inspire Go.