Gabriel’s Gift

A 12-year-old woodworker from England found a creative way to help children in Ukraine.

Gabriel Clark loves woodworking. The 12 year old from Cumbria, England, has been making things out of wood ever since he was given his grandfather’s hammer about eight years ago. Recently, Gabriel found a way to use his talent to help children in Ukraine.

Gabriel hatched his idea after his work gained newfound popularity, thanks to a shoutout from his dad. Gabriel was selling handmade bowls and cutting boards and planned to use the money to buy a new mountain bike. To help, his dad posted on Twitter, suggesting his followers might check out Gabriel’s products on Instagram. The post went viral, and Gabriel soon had more than 200,000 Instagram followers. He also had thousands of orders for wooden bowls. Gabriel realized he could use his platform for good.

On April 2, Gabriel announced that he would hold a raffle. The prize would be one of his homemade bowls, and the money would be given to Save the Children’s Children’s Emergency Fund. The fund is currently being used to help children in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February. The bowl Gabriel made, which he named “My Bowl For Ukraine,” is etched with blue and yellow rings, in honor of the Ukrainian flag.

On April 17, Gabriel made an announcement on Instagram.

“We have a winner!!” he wrote. “My Bowl For Ukraine has a new home. Even though the raffle is finished, we’ve kept the [donation] page open until next weekend as donations are still flooding in.”

Gabriel had initially set a fundraising goal of 5,000 British pounds (about 6,155 U.S. dollars). As of April 25, he had raised 255,000 pounds (about 313,950 U.S. dollars). “I want to know that I can make other children’s lives better by doing a little bit of something in my own life,” Gabriel told People magazine.

Did You Know?

Generation Z (born in 1997 or later) has already demonstrated an impressive willingness to help others. According to a recent report, millennials (born in the 1980s or early 1990s) have had the highest rate of giving since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Generation Z is right behind, with the second-highest rate of giving.

Gen Z Cares

A teen girl poses and smiles. — Fourteen-year-old Mari Copeny’s activism began when she met with President Obama to discuss the need for clean drinking water in her hometown of Flint, Michigan.

A teen girl stands in front of a banner and protesters and speaks into a microphone. — Ugandan climate change activist Vanessa Nakate, 25, founded an organization called Rise Up.

Malala Yousafzai Malik, 24, has traveled the world to speak out for the right of girls and women to receive an education in her home country of Pakistan.

A young woman speaks into a microphone. — Xiye Bastida, 19, is the founder of Re-Earth Initiative, a youth-led organization that gives voice to climate activists around the world.

Zanagee Artis co-founded a youth-led climate activist group called Zero Hour in 2017. He’s also the co-author of A Kids’ Book About Climate Change. — Zanagee Artis co-founded a youth-led climate activist group called Zero Hour in 2017. He’s also the co-author of *A Kids’ Book About Climate Change*.

Copeny – © Loui Brezzell. Courtesy of Mari Copeny; Nakate – © Stefano Guidi/Getty Images News; Malala – © JStone/Shutterstock.com; Bastida – Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Global Citizen; Artis: Zanagee Artis

Members of Generation Z, which includes today’s teenagers, care deeply about a wide range of issues. Here are some of them.

Climate Change

Generation Z has been at the forefront of the fight to solve the climate crisis. A recent survey by Pew Research showed that Gen Zers and millennials are discussing climate change more than older adults are. They’re also more likely to participate in rallies and protests.

Racial Inequality

Research shows that members of Generation Z may be more concerned about racial inequality than older generations. In 2020, the organization DoSomething.org surveyed its Gen Z members and found that 72 percent had started reading, listening to, or watching content to gain a better understanding of racism in the United States. Fifty-eight percent said they had had a conversation with friends about what they could do to take action against racism.

Poverty and Hunger

Members of Generation Z want poverty and hunger to be addressed. Research by media company Cone Communications found that nearly 30 percent of Gen Zers are concerned about these issues. Not only that, but they say that fighting poverty and hunger is more important than economic development—the growth of businesses.

What’s Happening in Ukraine?

Learn more about Ukraine and the war there.

WORD OF THE DAY

champion

PART OF SPEECH:

noun

Definition:

: someone who fights or speaks publicly in support of a person, belief, cause, etc.

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