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Nov 5, 2008

"Don't say that you want to give, but go ahead and give! You'll never catch up with a mere hope." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The Generosity Gene

The thought of not receiving presents on a birthday, bar or bat mitzvah, or any other gift-getting occasion is hard to accept for most children. So, where would such an idea come from? Teachers, older siblings and parents are the inspiration. Sometimes, it's just another compassionate stranger. For Gwenna Heidkamp, 11, who requested animal shelter supplies in lieu of presents for herself, it was her first-grade teacher Susan Vani, who got her excited about helping others. Every year, Vani gives each of her students $10 of her own money and challenges them to find ways to grow it and then send the total to a charity of their choice.