When disaster strikes, it’s easy to send prayers, watch the news, or complain about how our world is becoming more and more dismal. It’s harder, but also much more rewarding, to send hope as well as concrete help.
This week, I drove to Napa and Solano counties with other Be the Star You Are volunteers and Voice America Radio personalities, Chelsea Pelchat and our Executive Director, Cynthia Brian, to deliver boxes of books to evacuation centers housing people who fled their homes after recent fires in Northern California. Those affected by the fire have been squatting in these centers for days without any source of entertainment. We figured that anyone, young or old, can always enjoy a good book.
Often, I think of myself as helpless against things as arbitrary and ruthless as natural disasters. But my attitude changed with every smile and thank you we received as we handed books to people in person. Sure, I had too much homework on Thursday night and too little time to do it. Yet, it’s important to realize that helping people who have lost everything is more important than a nightly assignment or any other daily task. We went to several different evacuation centers, and the kindness of the people at all the centers was astounding.
What I learned that day is that in the most dire of circumstances, our only source of hope is to help each other. Hope heals.
Zahra Hasanian is a teen volunteer with Be the Star You Are!r charity and a host/reporter on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio broadcasting on the Voice America Kids Network Tuesdays at NOON PT. www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself
Read Lamorinda Weekly: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1117/Local-residents-rally-in-response-to-North-Bay-fires.html
If you’d like to donate items through Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity to help fire and hurricane victims, please visit Operation Disaster Relief webpage at www.bethestaryouare.org/copy-of-operation-hurricane-disaste . Express Yourself! radio hosts and reporters Zahra Hasanian, Brigitte Jia, Chelsea Pelchat, Katie Choo, and Jelina Liu along with StarStyle® host and producer, Cynthia Brian are working diligently to help people affected by both the hurricanes and fires.
To make a financial donation, please visit www.BetheStarYouAre.org or send a check to PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556. Tax receipts will be sent. Donations via PAYPAL Giving Fund can be made directly at www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3 .
Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity is a TOP RATED Non Profit.
Tune in to StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!r radio broadcast LIVE Wednesdays 4-5pm Pt on Voice America Empowerment: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2206/be-the-star-you-are
More information at www.StarStyleRadio.com.
