Pranoo Kumar, Dignity U Wear; Tocca Chester and Chef Keith Smith, Ashley Street Catering

Bill Gates has given away $28 billion in his lifetime. He has earned the title of philanthropist. Of course Bill Gates’ advantage was that he had $28 billion to give.

The impression we get from the media coverage of his laudable efforts is that philanthropists are people with a lot of money – that the formula for making things right is money. If you are thinking about making a cash gift to Dignity U Wear, we do not want to dissuade you from that notion.

But the success of charitable efforts depends less on providing someone with an interview suit than it does on the courage of the person who has to interview.

On the other hand, if you were to have volunteered with us here at the warehouse during youth week you would have witnessed philanthropists of a very different kind. Young people representing Communities in Schools, an agency that supports the academic success of disadvantaged students, were out in numbers inspecting, sorting and folding clothes. And when lunch time came, they were served a donated lunch by the culinary students at the Clara White Mission, another agency we work with.

There was an overwhelming sense of a community of resourceful people working together to lift each other up.

Dignity U Wear is not a financially wealthy agency. Our ambitions to serve at the highest level are not practical without the donated labor of hundreds of community volunteers. The truth of our story is that a significant percentage of our volunteers are people who also use the services of partnering charities who receive the clothing we distribute.

As much as we need cash donations, the success of our efforts depends more on the efforts of a different kind of philanthropist – the ones who inspire the monetary donors with their courage and determination. The ones who claim their dignity every day, not because they have money, but by the way they conduct their lives.

You can learn more about volunteering with us here.

Filed under: General by Dignity U Wear