It all started with a photo taken on a cold January day.
Last week, street photographer Brandon Stanton happened upon 13-year-old Vidal Chastanet in Brownsville, Brooklyn, a neighborhood with the highest crime rate in New York City. As you may know, Stanton runs the popular blog, Humans of New York, which documents regular New Yorkers throughout the city.
Here’s the conversation that took place between the two–little did they know, it would end up changing Vidal’s life:
A few days later, Stanton tracked down Vidal’s principal–Ms. Lopez–at Mott Hall Bridges Academy, where Vidal is a middle-school student. Ms. Lopez proved to be every bit as inspiring as Vidal had said. “When you tell people you’re from Brownsville, their face cringes up,” she told Stanton. “But there are children here that need to know that they are expected to succeed.”
Stanton and Ms. Lopez hatched a plan for a fundraiser. A campaign to send the sixth graders at Mott Hall Bridges Academy–many who have never been outside the city–on an annual class trip to Harvard University. “I want every child who enters my school to know that they can go anywhere, and that they will belong,” Ms. Lopez said.
Their fundraising goal was $100,000. As of today, they’ve raised more than $1,000,000…in less than five days! Those funds will go towards class trips to Harvard, summer programs and scholarships (Vidal will be the first recipient).
"I've done a few fundraisers on the blog, but what's so special about this one is it started with Vidal,” Stanton told Ellen's Good News. “The randomness of that encounter between two strangers, it's a very odd pairing me and him in a very strange place. The serendipity of that interaction leading to all of this good.”
At a school assembly, earlier this week, Ms. Lopez confided to her students that the campaign couldn’t have come at a better time. She’d been ready to give up, throw in the towel. Her mother urged her to pray, but Ms. Lopez felt too angry. And then, a few days later, Vidal’s photo popped up on her phone:
What strikes me most about all this wonderfulness is not just the amount of money raised. But the people behind it all. There were no government officials or big celebrities involved. Instead it came about because of a 13-year-old boy, a photographer, a school community and the fans of Humans of New York. People like you and me.
God uses us to inspire change and we can all be the spark that leads to something big. Regular humans of the world who, when we come together, can make miracles happen.
To participate in the campaign for Mott Hall Bridges Academy, visit Let's Send Kids to Harvard.
