Why Are You Like This?

Hello and welcome to Sheryl Green Speaks (or in this case, writes). I wanted to do a bit of an introduction before I dive into the topic of philanthropy. People keep asking me “why are you like this?”, and “why do you care so much about saving the world?”. And to be honest, I don’t have the slightest idea. As a young child, my family was fairly poor, but our basic needs were always met. I have no memory of doing volunteer work as a family, or any grand gestures of philanthropy either by us or for us. We just sort of existed in our own little bubble. As I got older, I remember seeing a small box in my home to collect donations of change for the local temple, we would bring our old clothes to the Goodwill, and my parents would send out checks to charities every once in awhile, but still no major contributions to the community that I can recall.

I grew up. I got married. That didn’t go so well. When I got divorced, I found myself in a really dark place. Alone, in a new town, without work or any friends. I couldn’t see light at the end of the tunnel. I started racking my brain for ways to pull myself out of the funk. I’ve always loved animals, but to be perfectly honest, I got into animal rescue for selfish reasons. I needed to feel like I was a part of something. I needed to feel like I was needed. And, I needed to get out of my house and meet people in my new town. That’s not to say that I wasn’t excited to help animals, excited to save furry little lives. It just means that in the process, I saved my own. Volunteering with animals has given me a purpose, it’s given me skills, experiences, and wisdom. I’ve made amazing friends along the way, kept the lint roller companies in business, and touched hundreds of lives, both animal and human.

Now I’m ready to take it to the next level. As a rescuer, I can save hundreds of lives, maybe even thousands throughout my life. However, as a radio show host, as a speaker, as an author, as a consultant, I can be a conduit for change. If I can inspire others to give of their time, their money, their experience, or their energy… the ripple effect will save millions.

While my heart is with the animals, there are a multitude of problems out there, and countless organizations working to correct those problems. Hunger, homelessness, disease, pet overpopulation, our endangered environment, they all need attention. The world needs you to help solve these problems and more.

And about saving the world, those people are half right, I do want to save the world… I just don’t want to do it alone. I want to inspire every one of you to help me do it. In the words of a wise sage, “The time is now, for that is all we have.”