Its not very often that I share about my own philanthropy or that of my children but as a proud mother I think its time. No, I promise this isn’t one of those painful maternal bragging moments. This is about my first born son, who like most first borns (myself included) likes to think that the sun sets only on him….that was until he went to Watts.

A few years back he was having a rough summer getting ready to go to high school.  Getting tired of the pity party I called a friend down at a non-profit in South Central Los Angeles, called Urban Compass and asked if they could use some extra help. Urban Compass  is a non-profit that works to combat poverty and violence and make a difference in the lives of children in Watts. My son had never left his bubble, let alone ventured to the housing projects in the most dangerous neighborhood in LA.

At 14, my redhead walked into Urban Compass and was embraced by these huge smiles and hugs, That was it, he was hooked. He spent that summer taking children to places like the beach, which they had never seen. He held children’s hands as he walked them back into the housing projects and they begged him not to take him home. He came back at vacations and Christmas time asking our family to adopt one of “his families”.

Now my son is 16, he is a part of a new junior board at Urban Compass and asked me if he could do something else for his required service hours. “Why, would you do that?” I asked. The response, “Because service hours are something you have to do and this is something I love to do.”

The miracle of Christmas has touched our home this season as I hope it touches yours. That seed of compassion was in there and it has sprouted and grown. True charity of the heart that matters!

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