December 17th, 2011 at 9:16 am by
Anne
As rich as Justin Bieber is he knows what it's like to come from humble beginnings and he also knows the true spirit of Christmas: giving to others. As part of a segment for the Ellen DeGeneres show, Justin performed a private Christmas concert at Whitney Elementary School in Las Vegas where he not only sang but brought presents for the kids at the school in a low-income neighbourhood and made a generous donation.
Even though this school is in an oppressed part of Vegas, it is known as the school that gives back thanks to Ellen DeGeneres' September show featuring the Principal of the school Sherrie Gahn. Sherrie says that 85 percent of the students at the school receive either a free or subsidized lunch. That's 510 out of the 600 students! When Sherrie took the job eight years ago she made a pact with the families that she would help them out after she saw students taking ketchup packets home so that they would have something to eat for dinner. Seriously that made me cry reading that. She told them:
“I’ll pay your electrical bill, your utilities, I’ll give you food or clothes, whatever you need, as long as you give me your child and then help raise that child as a person of character,” she said.
She has purchased a bed for one student, eye glasses for another and Christmas presents for yet another family. This is done through the help of personal and corporate donations. The school's website also has a wish list posted. Her motivation:
My biggest motivator for the kids and the thought and the hope that they don’t have to live in this existence when they grow up — that they break the cycle,”
Justin Bieber knows what it's like to struggle. He and his family had to rely on food banks at times in their lives growing up. He relayed his story to the kids as well as singing songs from his 'Under The Mistletoe' album and of course his hit 'Baby'. He also brought presents and donated $100,000 as he had promised he would. His donation matches that of Target's and will help keep the families of the students off the street so the kids can continue their education.
Now that's a beautiful story, isn't it?
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