Oral Lee Brown was, for the most part an ordinary person. A former cotton picker from Mississippi and current real estate agent in Northern California, she made $45,000 and raised two children on her own.
What made this woman extraordinary was what she chose to do one day in 1987. She saw a young girl in her neighborhood begging for money. The next day, Oral went to the school the girl attended and found a first-grade class she "adopted". By "adoption", I mean that she pledged to personally pay for anyone who wanted to attend college! Brown lived up to her pledge: since that day, she has personally saved $10,000 a year and raised donations for her adopted kids.
Oral's commitment demonstrates the good that can come from action. Lily Tomlin said it best with: "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody."
So, to encourage you to make a difference in others' lives, we have a short movie for you from the book Every Monday Matters:
Throughout this week, keep checking back for more videos and messages on service. How do you plan on serving others today?