As a young girl, I remember thinking that if my mind had the power to generate an idea, then my mind also had the power to help make that idea a reality. Looking back on it now, that innocent thought from my childhood has significantly influenced how I live my life today.

I believe that if we can inspire at least one child in elementary education to have ideas, and instill in them the power to make those ideas realities, we can increase their odds of pursuing higher education.

Such inspiration comes when simple needs are met by those who want nothing in return. Through the gift of something as small as a pencil and paper, a child can document her wildest dreams in diaries and journals and bring entire worlds to life through drawings and stories. So often, though, even these basic needs fail to be met.

On the first day of school, these future thought leaders and social influencers have to ask to borrow such basic supplies, creating an unnecessary obstacle in their educational journey.

At Christmas, these children again go without.

I know from experience that you can never fully explain to a child why Santa Claus will not come to visit him and his family. For children in transitional housing, having gifts to open on Christmas morning is not so much about the toys, but about reclaiming a sense of normalcy.

Receiving contributions from organizations like ours is about feeling like they belong with their friends and those they go to school with. It is about showing these children that they have a place in the world despite the challenges they face.

If I can spare even one child from feeling this mixture of confusion and sadness, then my goal has been met.

The Circle of Love was born of the desire of that little girl who believed that all ideas were possible realities.

Today, I believe in the idea of sharing HOPE. What do you believe?”

Doris Phillips
Founder of The Circle of Love