For many people $1,200 on its own may not seem like a lot of money.
But what if you wrote a check for $1,200 in one lump sum to your favorite charity or your church? Now your pen might hiccup a little on the signature line.
Making that financial commitment is precisely what Joshua Kim did, donating toward Rotary International‘s efforts to eradicate polio in the developing world.
Joshua Kim is not an executive looking for an easy tax break or a wealthy philanthropist sharing his wealth.
He has a somewhat more common existence in his daily life – he’s an eighth grader.
Joshua, 14, became interested in the issue when he read about polio in a Rotary magazine and a $10,000 donation was made toward the cause by the local Northbrook, Ill., chapter his father Tony attends.
The $1,200 Joshua donated represents seven years of allowance savings.
“Joshua believes it really is important for people who have money to step forward and make a contribution to help needy people,” Tony Kim said.
Joshua was honored last week along with Italian 10-year-old Anna Zanotti, whose classmates raised over $150 in two days for polio eradication, at Rotary’s international conference in England.
Certainly Jesus’ parable of the widow’s mite comes to mind. (Luke 21:1-4)
Besides, what would seven years of savings represent to you?
$5,000?
$10,000?
$50,000?
More?
And more significantly can you fathom giving sacrificially to one source all at once?
Joshua doesn’t have to ponder – he already acted and should be commended for his selflessness.
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