Giving Back

My name is Lesley. I’m 16 years old and I’m from Musgravetown, Newfoundland. This is my first, but definietly not last, Hero Holiday with LiveDifferent! I first heard of this organization from a presentation at my school back in March. Listening to the speakers talking about children and families that have nothing really hit home for me.

Last July, my family home burned down. We lost everything we owned, including our family pets. I realized after the fire that I only owned the clothes on my back. Although this was tragic, everyone in our community was so supportive. People I didn’t even know were coming into my work place and handing me $50 bills! After hearing about Hero Holiday, I knew that this could be my way to give back. I have been amazed by the kindness of strangers, and I want to give others the same feeling. 

Today we did an awareness tour of some of the houses that LiveDifferent has built in the previous years. We got the chance to visit Nuevo Renacer. The first thing I noticed was that everyone was so friendly! People were waving to us as we were driving down the street, and we were all greeted with a smile. During our walk through the community, a little girl ran towards me and jumped into my arms. We instantly became best friends! She was so cute. She took my camera out of my hands and started taking pictures of anyone and anything. When it was time to go, she wouldn’t let me go. I attempted to tell her in Spanish that I would see her tomorrow. I’m so excited to spend the rest of the week with her and the rest of the children.

The next community that we went to was Arroyo Seco. We got to visit a school that had been built there and it was fun to try to read the Spanish words that were up on the walls. It’s great to know that the children there can get an education. A specific thing that caught my attention today was that although these people don’t have very much, they are very generous. The last house that we went to was on top of a huge hill. The family there was so kind to us. The boys picked some mangos and gave them to our team. They also gave out fruit that looked like mini limes. They were so good! The children and families in these communities warmed my heart and inspire me to be a better person. I’m looking forward to spend the rest of my trip working with them and my team.

Lesley ~ Hero Holiday Volunteer 2013