We all love the extra attention that is paid to us on our birthdays and other special holidays. But that is not ALL that can make us feel good on these special days. Giving back to those who need it more than we do is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves! It’s really amazing how good it feels to help someone, as Miss O Club members jessiecoolgurl and bobeah1225 tell us.

Christmas Toy Drive
By: Jessica, 9, CA (aka jessiecoolgurl)
A few years ago around Christmas time, I sat on the couch with my Mom while the TV was on; thinking, not watching TV, just thinking. Suddenly I said, "Mom, I want to do a toy drive." She asked me: "Sure, but for whom?" I explained to her (with a little help from her suggestions) that I wanted to do a toy drive for children who don’t get presents for Christmas.

I got lots of my friends involved. They brought baskets or Barbies and Polly Pockets and other girl toys to my house. My mom and I put them in a special place.

When the day came, we drove to a place where they re-house girls whose parents couldn’t take care of them properly. We meet a nice woman who appreciated what we did. "Thank you so much, I’m sure the children will be thrilled." She explained to us.

I’m about two years older now, but I still think about how I helped those girls in need. I hope they enjoyed the toys me and my friends chose for them. I’m thinking of doing it again some year.

My Special Bat-Mitzvah
By: Leah, 12, CA (aka bobeah1225)
I’m Jewish. And, as a Jew, when I turned 12 I had a Bat-Mitzvah. (A ceremony where I officially become a part of the Jewish community.) For most kids in my class a Bat-Mitzvah means a small service and a huge party. Occasionally the Bat-Mitzvah girl will ask families to donate money to a certain organization. I wanted to do something different, something more... personal and special. I mean why should the people I’m inviting have to give money? Isn’t it my Bat-Mitzvah? So I set out to find a project.

Do you know how hard it is to find a volunteer project that interests you? For most of them you have to be eighteen, and the ones that sounded good were like all the way in Alaska! I had originally wanted to read to blind children, but that got ruled out almost immediately since I’m not eighteen. Finally, with the help of volunteermatch.org I found a great opportunity. Once a month, playing for an hour with kids at a homeless shelter.

I went for the first time about six months ago and I was blown away by the amount of kids without shoes, and with dirty clothes. The shelter took in families who couldn’t pay their rent, and kept them long enough for them to get back on their feet. I was also surprised by how even though their lives are completely different, the girls reminded me of my own friends, giggling about boys, talking about school, and listening to the same music as me and my friends. Once I played board games with them. Another time I read books to the babies. Once I played puzzles with the five year olds. Being the youngest volunteer doesn’t bother me. It makes me appreciate my life even more. Seeing all those kids the same age as me, my sister, and my brother who don’t talk properly, look much younger than their age, and whose parents can’t even afford to buy necessities for their kids makes me appreciate my parents, my house, my school... basically everything. I’m glad that I can afford toys, jewelry, and other things. Volunteering at the shelter made my Bat-Mitzvah very, very meaningful.