To fully comprehend me, one must comprehend the people I care about. Cross, a cheerful, flamboyant coworker of mine, puts nearly 100% of his $9.00/hr earnings toward supporting his unemployed grandmother and younger brother. I drive Cross to and from work 2-3 times per week and pay for most of his meals to help— even if just a little bit.

Because of my close friendship with Cross, I have learned to never take a person at face-value. Cross has opened my eyes to the daily struggle that many people experience simply due to circumstances beyond their control. From him, I have learned to appreciate my relatively privileged lifestyle and to always show kindness toward those from different backgrounds.

People like Cross are the reason why I am an activist. I don’t advocate for certain causes for my own self-interests; I am an activist because if everyone took a moment to step into an impoverished person’s shoes, we might have a better understanding of why it’s so important to have empathy. I am an activist because the hardships that so many families face are often determined by the decisions made at the government level. I am an activist because if it only takes $10 from my checking account or 45 minutes from my day for an equally hardworking and deserving person to be sheltered and fed, then that is worth it.