Carolyn's First Spectator Editorial Article

We are proud to learn that Carolyn submitted her first editorial article "Help Haiti Now?" to the Hamilton Spectator and it was published on Tuesday April 6.  You can read it in the Spectator but here is the copy for a read now.

Help Haiti now?

By Carolyn Chong
(Apr 6, 2010)

In early January of this year, a massive earthquake struck the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As I watched the devastating news come pouring in, I was struck as well, but in a personal way. It hit me to see how lucky I was -- safe and comfortable in my own surroundings and so remote from all of the tragedies. And although I felt sad, I also felt helpless and knew I needed to help.

Around the dinner table, my family and I discussed how we could help beyond the simple, but not unimportant, act of donating money. We needed to do that but we wanted to do much more. But what can I do? I am only 16 years old. How can I bring about awareness and motivate young people my age to want to initiate change? I am no Craig Kielburger or George Clooney with celebrity status, that is for sure.

Consequently, I am so lost, confused, frustrated beyond belief. I really want to help, I really do. I just do not know where to begin. All our lives, parents and teachers of my "millennium" generation have instilled in us our duty to feed the hungry at the local food bank, bake for the bake sale fundraiser or contribute to the weekly church collection.

But none of us can see where our money or time is going or its long-term effects. I truly want to believe I am making a difference in the life of a little Haitian girl when I donate $10 -- but I have trouble.

At this moment, I can honestly say I am not motivated to get on my school's morning announcements and say, "Hey St. Mary, let's initiate change!"

However, I do believe that by writing this article, I have found the starting line of my motivation.

It may take weeks, months or even years for me to run the race, but as the "saint of little ways," St. Therese of Lisieux once said, "Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity." Ergo, by keeping to this quotation, I will finish the race.

I hope that by the end of the race, I will have greater faith in knowing that my generation can inspire change and that the simple, cliche acts of charity do add up to an immense impact.

We are always challenged by our parents to do more, to get involved and to donate our time and our skills. Through it, we can learn how we can enable and mobilize others to achieve greater things when banded together