Change for Good
August 11, 2009
Travelers donate extra currency from countries they are leaving and make a significant impact on a charity organization.
We all try to do the right thing; but frequently, the “right thing” seems to take an incredible amount of effort. Sometimes, however, a little effort by a large group of people can have a dramatic effect.
I was recently on a British Airways flight in Europe and was leafing through the magazines in the seat back pouch in front of me. I came across a small envelope describing a program called “Change for Good.”
Here are the instructions that were on the envelope: “Please put your donation, in any currency, in this envelope and hand it to a member of the cabin crew.” These contributions are donated to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
The hope is that travelers who have local currency left over will donate it upon leaving the country when they head back home. I put about four British Pounds into the envelope and left it with the flight attendant.
Now four British Pounds is worth a little less than $6 US. And while this might not seem like a lot, I was fascinated to learn that this program has raised over ten million pounds – nearly $15 million – since its inception.
As you go through your own workday, there may be opportunities to make a difference that seem insignificant. But if you and the people you work with choose to look for those opportunities and act upon them, the impact you can have can be profound.
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