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?
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