Brian Peterson, Julius Achon and Ruby Kate Chitsey share their tips for kids and youth who want to make a positive difference in their community.
BRIAN PETERSON | USA
Brian Peterson is the founder of Faces of Santa Ana, a non-profit which focuses on homelessness and the rehabilitation of our neighbors in Santa Ana, CA. He has now expanded his services to include personal commissions, murals and public speaking engagements.
BRIAN’S TIPS:
Learn to love the people within your neighborhood. Search deep within your heart to see, understand and honor the people who are most different to you.
Remain curious. As you grow older, life often strips us of our curiosity and childlike wonder. With the best of your ability, hold on to the childlike spirit you currently possess. If you love to paint, never stop painting. If you love to dance, never stop dancing. If you love to sing, never stop singing… and so on. These could be the very gifts you can use to impact the world around you. Never forget what you love to do as a child.
JULIUS ACHON | UGANDA
Julius Achon was born in the remote village of Awake in northern Uganda. He was determined to use his athletic talent and founded the Love Mercy Foundation to bring hope back to his community.
JULIUS’ TIPS:
When I was younger I was determined to do the best I could at running. So many people told me that I would not make it, but I believed that I could. You must continue to believe in yourself, even if others don’t and you must never give up. By doing your very best, you might
have the chance to help others, and you should always take that chance.
RUBY KATE CHITSEY | USA
Ruby Kate Chitsey is the 13-year-old CEO and founder of Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents. It is a youth-led nonprofit that fulfills small wishes to lonely and impoverished nursing home seniors across America. She loves to show the world the beauty of our oldest citizens.
RUBY’S TIPS:
My advice for kids out there who want to make a difference is believing in yourself. I’m so grateful the world took my voice seriously. Kids can absolutely make a difference. Use your voice and never think you are too small to make a difference. Also, make sure you see the people right in front of you like Pearl. Pearl was one person but when I looked closer, I saw that she was really the face of 1.4 million other nursing home seniors who just needed love.
This article first appeared in Edition 30.
