Act on Good Intentions

If Daisy Hampton was like any other 12-year-old student, she likely enjoyed the idea of staying home instead of going to school. When the pandemic made this a long-term reality, though, she began to worry as many of her classmates started missing virtual classes. When she found out why, she turned a single student donation into a giving movement.

Daisy’s story is unlike many others that speak of “karma” or “good deeds returning.” She didn’t get a windfall of cash for her generous actions, and she’s certainly too young to get a high-paying job out of the situation. What she did receive, however, was something more special. It’s a movement that — even as you read this story — is growing larger by the day.

Daisy Hampton Saw a Problem and Did Something

When classrooms went virtual during the pandemic, a problem that had long existed in the shadows became readily apparent. Many students didn’t have tablets, computers, or even access to Wi-Fi in their homes. While we may have once seen these as a luxury, they’re now a necessary element of the education process. And even before the pandemic, 3 million students went without.

Many of us would see this as an issue for grownups to handle. You may not even expect a child to realize the problem exists. When Daisy Hampton noticed many students weren’t present for virtual lessons, though, she immediately guessed why. A news story about a student who couldn’t do her schoolwork due to not owning a computer confirmed her theory.

There are many biblical lessons on giving, but no one needs the Bible to tell them that helping others is the right thing to do. Daisy learned this early on. That’s why she took the $200 from her Girl Scout Bronze Award — something she earned for her efforts to make the world a better place — and purchased a laptop for the student she saw in the aforementioned news story.

One Student Donating Leads to Something More

When Daisy gifted a $200 laptop to Kimani Anderson — the little girl without a computer in the news story — she gave the 9-year-old girl the opportunity to keep learning. For many people, such a good deed would end right there. People get a bit of a rush from giving to others, and Daisy could’ve likely ridden that high throughout her school years.

Instead, she showed how much she really cared. She knew Kimani wasn’t the only student stuck in the digital gap, so in April 2020, she founded Including You. This nonprofit focuses on helping students overcome obstacles — particularly the digital divide — that get in the way of a decent education. How could she fund such a venture? She turned to GoFundMe.

She started her fundraiser in August 2020, and by the end of 2021, the young student had already raised more than $20,000 on her page. A page that is still accepting donations, in fact. Within just the first year, Daisy’s efforts resulted in more than 500 students across the country getting the digital devices they need to continue virtual schooling.

The World Takes Note

If you check out Daisy’s Including You website, you’ll see she learned a lot from her experience. In fact, she seems pretty adept at everything from making a great blog post to raising money with merchandise. The most important thing you should notice, though, is that everyone else is noticing. Organizations from around the world have celebrated her work.

At home, Daisy received the NYC Service Youth Impact Award. Folks took note overseas as well, and she received the award named for Princess Diana for her generous contributions. The fundraiser site that helped grow her movement also named her a GoFundMe Hero, and she’s even given one of the best TED Talks you could hope to experience.

Thanks to her penchant for giving, Daisy Hampton has gained acclaim throughout the world. She has a growing social media following and continues to appear in print and visual media across the globe. Not every reward for a good deed comes in the form of money, but for people like Daisy who receive such awards and use them to help others? Their blessings will be immense.

How DonorWerx Can Help

Even before she gets to high school, Daisy Hampton will have done more to help others than most adults in this world. People often speak of good deeds being rewarded monetarily, but Daisy shows that doing what’s right is a reward unto itself. Of course, the recognition from her community and the knowledge that she’s changing the world are both invaluable as well.

As a church leader, this is something you must remind your congregants. Every dollar they give does God’s work, and in one way or another, He rewards those who give generously. Your goal is to communicate this to your parishioners effectively, and DonorWerx can help. Click here  to Get started on improving church revenue and expanding your reach into the world.