The Contented Cow Blog

Building Workplaces That Work

I happened into our family room one day recently as my wife was watching Oprah on television. Though I’ve never watched more than a minute or two of the show, that day was an exception.

Former President, Bill Clinton was on the show, promoting his new book, Giving. As an example of how ordinary individuals can make a profound difference, he introduced 14 year old “Kendall Ciesemier” of Wheaton, IL, who, through her “Kids Caring 4 Kids” organization has raised over $100,000 for children in Africa impacted by AIDS.

Kendall is no ordinary young lady. Originally inspired by an earlier Oprah show about children orphaned by the disease, Kendall, then but 10 years old, decided to do something about it. But it seems that she had a little bit of a headwind, owing to the need for her to undergo two liver transplants of her own. Undeterred, she plowed ahead with bake sales, lemonade stands and outright donations. As she put it, “I’m just a girl who wants to make a difference for other kids.” Wow!

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