Giving, an adjective, means providing love or other emotional support; caring.
This December 3rd is the day that keeps the thriving community of Jewish teens around the world together. BBYO Giving Day brings thousands of teens calling to all corners of the world, asking for an opportunity to continue their journey through this groundbreaking movement. We flock to platforms like Instagram, creating picture collages of our stories and our continuously evolving journey through this chapter of life.
To most, it might be overlooked as just another fundraiser for one of the 60,000+ non-profit youth organizations in the US, but to me and the others who call this movement their home, we know there is much more than what the naked eye may see.
On this giving day, I ask anyone with a connection to this movement, no matter your level of involvement, you will make a difference in a teen’s life with your gift. I say this in a declarative manner because it is nothing but factual. Our incredible donors and families who have been a part of the movement, ranging from new member families to our respected alumni, continue to make a difference in the future of this world and the leaders who will soon come to lead it.
I have been fortunate enough to experience the outcome of your gift through the ILTC summer program taking place at the infamous Perlman camp.
These nineteen days drastically altered my journey through this movement, and I’m endlessly thankful to the staff as well as fellow Alephs and BBGs. I owe my recent success to these amazing individuals regarding the results of Lonestar Region’s newly elected regional board, which I will be serving on for the next and, sadly last fifteen months of my journey in BBYO.
Before you consider donating to the organization that has changed my life for the better, keep in mind that I am only one of the tens of thousands of teens who could have these opportunities because you are choosing to gift the opportunity of a lifetime.
Thank you for giving me a purpose in my community and the ability to experience what no other group of people could.
Caleb Johnson is an Aleph from Austin, Texas, and likes photography.
All views expressed on content written for The Shofar represent the opinions and thoughts of the individual authors. The author biography represents the author at the time in which they were in BBYO.
