“Unless..”

 

One of my favorite quotes comes from a simple children’s book. In Dr. Suess’ “The Lorax,” he says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

This quote runs in my head as a constant life theme. I have a bit of a “save the world” complex, but as my students love to remind me, “Miss, the world is broken. There’s nothing we can do.” YIKES! That sounds pretty despairing. 

Then I go back to The Lorax quote; if we all felt the world was beyond saving, it would be. Minor changes, little effort, and even the smallest steps are still going in the right direction. So, I am here to tell you how one average lady from Brooklyn is attempting to save the world. 

In 2011 I had an idea to start a social fundraising initiative called The Hero’s Benefit, or THB as I so lovingly refer to it. THB was meant to be a response to the Extortion 17 crash, which killed 31 American Service Members and left 32 children without fathers. We raised over $8k for a special ops military charity in our first event, and it only grew from there. Throughout its tenure, THB has raised over $41k for different military charities, sent hundreds of care packages to deployed troops, collected toys for foster children, sent letters overseas, sent letters and cards to Veterans here at home, and more. Sure, it sounds like an organization put all this together, but it was people. Individual people, just like you and me. All of our events depend on the generosity and kindness of others, of strangers, of people just looking to help.  

What I’ve found throughout my life is that so many people want to help. They want to make a difference, they want the world to get better, but no one knows where to start. It seems like such a big to-do when you think about making the world a better place. 

Well, I’m here to tell you, start from where you are! It doesn’t need to be this significant earth-shattering movement to make a difference in someone’s life. Many times the smallest efforts have the most substantial effects. Kindness is like a ripple in water, it doesn’t stop with just the first impact, but it spreads out and gets bigger.

I work at a very large local high school in Brooklyn, NY. I notice a lot of families, especially since COVID, have fallen on hard times and could use a helping hand. I decided to create a “Self-Care Station” in my office where students can pick up toiletries and other hygiene products to bring home. To impact such a large school would be too much for one person, right? Well, sure! If I did it alone. I took to my local community groups on social media and asked for help. Again, people do want to help, but they are unsure of how or where. 

We hear horror stories about big charities misappropriating funds, which makes many people wary. But when people can listen to your story, they get inspired to help and join the call to action. Thanks to a lot of generous donors, I was able to stock this “Self-Care Station” with full-sized bath, feminine hygiene, and other hygiene products, all new. As I went to pick up these donations, a lot of the lovely people would say, “it’s not much, but…” or “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.” 

Here’s the thing, UNLESS! 

If we all care enough to do what we can, we are doing enough to make a change! There is no such thing as a small good deed. You are still making a difference. You are still starting that ripple effect. 

THB did a toy drive for foster children at a local Brooklyn foster service center during Christmas. Once again, we took to the internet and the community for help. So many people donated brand new toys and clothes, but it also made them look around their house. I am guilty of this, and I know I can’t be the only one! I buy things, keep them in the package/tags and never use them. I was getting calls and messages from people asking if they could donate toys/clothes in packages that their kids never used. Yes! Now not only are you helping an amazing cause, but you are also helping the environment by reducing and reusing.  

That one event helped spiral into more good than I could have ever imagined. It introduced me to so many people who are also leaving the world better than they found it. I met a woman collecting items for women of domestic violence; she was able to coordinate a whole community dropping off clothes, housewares, bedding, toys, necessities to families in need. I even went back to the foster service where THB donated toys and asked if they took donations throughout the year, and they said they could use (gently worn) clothes.  

I am not rich, and I am no better off than the average person, but changing the world doesn’t need to be a hugely expensive endeavor. I ask for help, and I seek out those who want to do better for the world. 

If you’ve stuck with me this far, thank you! I’m sorry if I sound a little preachy, but here are ways you can make a difference solo:

So many times, we replace items in our house that are still good and usable for upgrades. With these items, I say try to donate them instead of throwing them out. There are groups online that are neighborhood swaps, where people are looking for things and will come pick them up. You can even leave a box outside your house that says “Free.” You will be surprised how much of the stuff gets taken. This is a way to reduce our waste and give our unwanted items a new life! 

I am a coffee addict. I also have (and love) my Keurig. The pods are horrible for the environment, and it crushes me, but I love the machine. So, I found a loophole! They have reusable pods and individual coffee filters, so you can still enjoy your daily cup of joe without the environmental impact of those horrid pods. I also love a good steak dinner, chicken nuggets, ribs, or any meat for that matter, but the emissions factories put out are also terrible for the environment. To try and do my part, I have “meatless” meals a few times a day. Some people do “Meatless Monday,” some people cut meat out of one or two meals a day (or even a week). Either way, all of that helps! The world didn’t get this crazy from something big. It got this way by long-term, small, yet harmful impacts. Imagine what the world could be like if we had long-term minor helpful impacts?

This blog is my little call to action for all of you. These are the ways I affect the environment around me. We may not change the whole world, but we can certainly change someone’s world. There are many ways to leave the world and people a little better than you found them, and I hope you find some ways that work for you.  

Gabrielle Puglia-Pesce is a Brooklyn native, Speech Language Pathologist (Gift of Gab Speech), free spirit with a wild heart, lover of life, perpetual overthinker, nerd, small-business supporter, and overall advocate. She loves sunflowers, tattoos, books, and bees (#savethebees).

You can follow her journey here:

The Hero’s Benefit: Instagram: @TheHerosBenefitBK , Facebook: TheHerosBenefitBK

Speech: Instagram: @gift_of_gab_speech