What would you do with a dollar? Well, Aarya started his own fundraising campaign to buy canned drinks for garbage collectors who work under the scorching sun. Meanwhile, Alexis bought a tissue packet from a disabled elderly man with her money.
These children are participants of a campaign called My Dollar Story, co-founded by 33-year-old Singaporean social entrepreneur Delane Lim. Through this, Lim aims to spread the importance of paying it forward and show youths in Singapore that while a dollar might not be a huge sum, it can still spark a memorable act of kindness.
“It is not what we give that matters but how we give regardless of whether we are rich or poor, young or old. A simple act of kindness will create a ripple effect that will influence others to do the same… are we prepare to change the world in small ways by starting to bless others with this dollar,” Lim explained in a Facebook post.
He was inspired to start the initiative when his mentor and former council member introduced him to a philanthropic movement called “Project $1” at the 2009 Global Youth Leaders’ Summit. In March this year, he launched My Dollar Story on Facebook through his youth development company FutuReady Asia and pledged S$10,000 from his own savings to the cause. When these young ones complete their $1 act of compassion, they can share their stories to encourage others.
To get started, interested participants have to leave a message on the Facebook page with their details and what they intend to do with the dollar. A card with a $1 coin will then be mailed to them.
Already, the page has featured a couple moving anecdotes that underscore the movement’s aim to show that kindness is worth way more than the coin’s face value. The campaign has also garnered support from the community, with participation from schools such as Canberra Secondary School and organizations like the PAP Community Foundation.
One of the posts on Lim’s campaign page reads, “don’t underestimate the value of $1… it can do wonders if you want it to…”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
