The Matthew Effect states that those
who gain an advantage are often placed in situations where they gain
more advantages, while those who lack advantages continue to lack
them. We are going to look at a real life example of the first part;
how an advantage leads to more advantages.
We have volunteered for several years
now. Right before Alex started working towards the Congressional
Award we started volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House.
After Sabrina's hospital stay, she
decided to team up with her brother to do a coloring book drive. The
kids had already seen me do a book drive for several years for a
charity we used to volunteer with. So, with some coaching and by
utilizing connections they had already established in the community,
they now have 3 businesses acting as drop off locations. Since we are
volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House we have the opportunity to
hand deliver the coloring books. When we started the drive we thought
we would have to drop them off at the nurses' station.
We learned about the Prudential Spirit
of Community Award, which also serves as a facilitator for the
President's Volunteer Award. Due to the amount of volunteering
required for the Congressional Award and the coloring book drive,
Alex qualifies for the Presidential Award and is at least in the
running for the local level, and possibly the state level, of the
Prudential Award. Sabrina will qualify next year.
Both kids have developed their art
skills by volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, which will help
Sabrina as she enters art contests. In fact, she has already sold a
few of her paintings, and donated half the proceeds to the coloring
book drive.
We recently learned about several other
volunteer awards that the kids can enter. We also learned about the
Ronald McDonald House's 5-K, which fulfills one of Alex's physical
fitness goals for the Congressional Award and will help him as he
enters next year's round of volunteer awards. And so the Matthew
Effect continues.
Marie-Anne
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