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Alex Land - North Putnam Middle School

Alex Land is a North Putnam School Corporation student. She was a finalist in the 2008 Putnam County Community Foundation's National Philanthropy Week essay contest. As finalist Alex was able to award $50 to a Putnam County charity of her choice. Congratulations Alex! Below is her essay.

An Amazing Philanthropist

The philanthropist I know personally and admire the most would have to be my grandma. The definition of a philanthropist is someone who has a desire to help mankind and that is a definition fit for Grandma Kathy.

Grandma Kathy has lived very happily in Haiti; a poor island located in the Caribbean Sea. She has lived there the past 3 years serving as a missionary. Her purpose is to help with a vast reforestation development program in the mountains. This project consists of approximately 700 men and women living in the mountains. They plant about a million trees and over 140 miles of ramps each year, which helps the erosion and flooding in the area (it was proved by the recent hurricanes that caused major flooding)

Now, This isn't the first time Grandma has been to Haiti. In 1989 she and Papa Rick left the United States to become full-time missionaries in a small town named Christianville. On this mission they served a different purpose. They were sent to work basically in agriculture and nutrition. Everyday they worked with peasant farmers and single women. They ended up staying there for 14 years.

When Grandma had any free time during these trips I'm sure they weren't spent napping. She helped put together plays for the church, taught women how to bake bread and cakes, played with the beach children, taught kids to read and write, and even sewed clothing. What would they do without her?

What makes my grandma so good at what she does? Let's track back. She is a true Christian. When she was younger she was a Camp Fire Girl and learned about charity work and conservation. She would also help all her elderly neighbors by raking leaves, cleaning houses, and running errands. She admits that as she got older she would always want to do the right thing.

Kathy is definitely a wonderful role model. What she does is amazing and almost unimaginable in the world we live in today. She must be heartbroken not seeing her family and yet happy for herself and the Haitians at what tremendous progress her work is showing. She is truly living her dream. In her words, "My life has been rich with hard work and short in worldly praise".

In many people's eyes philanthropy is giving money to charities but when I think of showing an act of philanthropy it is an act of kindness on another person. You don't have to be rich but you do have to have the love in your heart and the willingness to do hard work to be a true philanthropist.

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