For their grandfather’s 75th birthday, 10-year-old Noa Feldman and her sister Mia, along with their aunt Amy, decided to forgo presents and donate money on his behalf to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
The amount they decided to give in his honour was a no-brainer: $75 to mark his 75 years.
“He really liked the idea,” said Feldman, who is in Grade 5 at Bialik Hebrew Day School.
The following year, for his 76th birthday, they decided to try something a bit different. Feldman, Mia and their aunt split 76 volunteer hours between the three of them, an undertaking they’re still working to complete by helping out at Ve’ahavta and fundraising for the Hospital for Sick Children.
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Feldman’s grandfather, who her father Jonathan Feldman said has been involved in many charitable causes throughout his life, was extremely taken with the innovative gift. He sent an email to family members explaining what Noa, her sister and their aunt had done in his honour.
Inspired by the positive reception they got, Noa and her aunt expanded the idea into what they call the Volunteer Your Age Club (VYAC, www.vyaclub.com).
“Noa really ran with it. She made a website, created a media package and has been actively spreading the word,” her father explained.
The site, which officially launched last month, provides a forum for people to honour their loved ones’ birthdays by pledging either an amount of money to donate to, or fundraise for, an organization; a charity to volunteer a specific number of hours at; or a combination of those two things.
For a relative’s 50th birthday, for example, someone could choose to donate $50 to a charity, donate 50 volunteer hours to a cause, or donate $25 and volunteer 25 hours.
Users can pledge money or time as individuals or as a group, and are encouraged to e-mail the Feldmans with messages or photos once they’ve fulfilled their pledge. The Feldmans will then share people’s stories on the website.
A number of suggested charities are listed on the site so far, including Sick Kids hospital, the Against Malaria Foundation and the Canadian Red Cross, but Noa said that “whatever people think is worthy of donating their time or money to is where they should do it.”
She said the organizations on the site aren’t affiliated with VYAC at present, but the hope is for charities to become formally involved with the initiative.
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The purpose of a public platform, Noa explained, is to keep people motivated and accountable. “As my aunt said, if you don’t do what you said after making the pledge, you’ll feel bad about it,” Noa said.
The family plans to work with a professional Web designer to further refine the site, which Noa built herself.
So far, several friends of the family have made pledges through it, and the Feldmans hope word will continue to spread. “We want to make it as viral as possible so lots of people can start using the club for birthday presents,” her father said.
While the original intention was for VYAC to help children honour their parents’ or grandparents’ birthdays, he said it can also be used for parents to celebrate their kids’ birthdays.
“I’m sure a lot of kids will still want to get presents… but this could be a kind of present, too,” he said.
Noa said making a pledge using the site is a great birthday gift, because it brings people happiness while encouraging giving back to the community. “My parents always tell me, ‘I don’t want things for my birthday… This is good because it feels good to know that a part of you is being volunteered or donated. It’s in your honour,” she said.
Her dad said Noa has been community-oriented “since day one,” having helped for years at an event her grandfather created to raise money for Sick Kids.
“And she’s only 10! She’s had a long track record in her short life so far,” he said.