MAKING A DIFFERENCE- One day can change your life

Published Saturday, October 28, 2006 in USA Weekend
By Robin Roberts

Aug. 29, 2005, changed everything I thought I knew about volunteerism. The outpouring of compassion, love and concern that came in Hurricane Katrina's wake was both empowering and humbling. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who put their lives on hold for people they didn't know from Adam's house cat.

I met a guy in my hometown of Pass Christian, Miss., who said, "You said on the air that this town needed chain saws. I don't have money, but I know how to fix chain saws." Someone had raised money for him to drive all the way from Tennessee.

I asked, "How long are you going to be here?"

He said, "As long as it takes."

I'm tired of hearing that people are just in it for themselves these days. Call me Pollyanna, but I don't buy in to that. I believe the urge to make a difference is in our DNA. We all have gifts to contribute, and we light up when we find that perfect fit.

Next Saturday is your chance to go at it, hands on, in your own community. You don't have to wait for a natural disaster or a desperate need to arise. You can be proactive.

So do it, do it, do it. It's about taking action instead of sitting on the sidelines. You don't have to do anything grandiose. Just a simple act can lay a foundation. Once you get used to reaching out, it becomes a reflex.

I know Make A Difference Day will open eyes and empower people. You'll think you're helping others, but you're really helping yourself. I guarantee you'll be blown away by the way it makes you feel.

"Next Saturday is your chance," says Robin Roberts, co-anchor of "Good Morning America."

"ABC News Good Morning America" is the exclusive broadcast partner for USA WEEKEND's Make A Difference Day 2006. Watch the show for on-air messages about Make A Difference Day.

In Tucson, 1,500 volunteers, inspired by African elephant Shaba, will paint 500 55-gallon trash cans to raise awareness for the Reid Park Zoo. Shaba painted her own can Sept. 13 to kick off the campaign. Also in Tucson, 2,300 recruits from Sunnyside Unified School District and Raytheon Missile Systems will tackle beautification projects at 22 sites.

In Chicago, 2005 Make A Difference Day national honoree Baird & Warner is back. The real estate company's 32 offices are leading dozens of community projects, including book drives, shelter improvements and Halloween parties for impoverished kids.

In New York City, nearly 10,000 new books will be sorted and distributed to disadvantaged kids by volunteers led by First Book, the U.S. Coast Guard and Oscar-nominated actress Joan Allen. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter will dramatically deliver the books to children awaiting their arrival onshore. As the books are distributed, Allen and Coast Guard officials will entertain kids with storybook readings.

On Hawaii's Big Island, homes of seniors and low-income residents will be painted and repaired. "It's a beautiful place, but a lot of people have to work two jobs to survive. We want to help these neighbors in need," says Dee Chapon, leader of volunteers from Kohala Community Land Trust, Family Center and Project Venture.

In Wilmington, Del., photographer Laura Novak will donate a month's profits from her photo studio to Operation Smile, a charity that helps finance surgeries for children born with facial deformities.

Across Michigan, physicians and their families will reach out to battered spouses who have taken refuge in shelters. Thousands of volunteers will collect items and fill enough toiletry bags to meet the needs of nearly 15,000 shelter residents. The supplies drive is coordinated by the Michigan State Medical Society Foundation and the MSMS Alliance, a doctors' spouses group.

In Kiln, Miss., 350 parents, teachers, Rotary International members and KaBOOM! volunteers will build a playground for kids whose two schools were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The students, who now attend class in trailers, designed their new play space. This is KaBOOM!'s 24th playground in the Gulf region. At each project, volunteers are urged to "Play it Forward."

In the desert west of Las Vegas, the Friends of Red Rock Canyon, buoyed by outdoor outfitter REI and Travelocity, will restore trails and wilderness devastated by fire last summer. Nearly 140 volunteers will work to rebuild fences and boardwalks, plant native vegetation and erase the tire scars that were left behind by fire trucks.

Go to top

And on a national scale ...

Newspaper readers. Partnering with America's Second Harvest, many newspapers are encouraging readers to donate groceries to help feed hungry kids. In Warren, Ohio, the Tribune Chronicle and Wendy's restaurants will trade donations for Frostys. The Albuquerque Journal and Globe-News in Amarillo, Texas, are mobilized for action. For food drive ideas, visit allrecipes.com.

Government. The federal Corporation for National and Community Service is using the day to raise awareness of the importance of volunteerism. Its goal is to increase the number of Americans who volunteer annually to 10 million by 2010. Among the group's most popular initiatives is AmeriCorps, the youth volunteer program whose members participate in Make A Difference Day.

Carmakers. General Motors, its dealerships, UAW-GM members and XM Satellite Radio are revving up efforts to raise funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since 2003, General Motors volunteers have raised $3.5 million to grant wishes for sick children.

Architects. In three towns (Long Beach, Calif.; Kilauea, Hawaii; and Charlottesville, Va.), architects enrolled in a community development internship will clean neighborhoods and plant trees. Twenty-two fellows from the Enterprise Community Partners' Rose Architectural Fellowship hope to also forge new connections with their communities. "We're creating healthier neighborhoods," director Katie Swenson says.