Biddy Mason

Bridget “Biddy” Mason started out life as a slave, and ended as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. After suing for freedom from her master in California, she began working as a nurse and midwife and soon became highly respected and sought after in her field. She saved $250 from her work to buy a house in Los Angeles in 1866, becoming one of the first African Americans to own land in the city. She is well-remembered for her frugality and business-like mind, mostly through property sales. In 1884, she sold part of her property for $1,500 (quite a profit), and built rental property on the rest to generate income. She continued to deal in real estate throughout her life, buying and selling property until she amassed a fortune of $300,000 and could support her entire extended family. Having made enough money for her lifetime, Biddy turned her attention to charity. She was well-loved for feeding and sheltering the poor and orphaned and for bringing comfort to those in prison. Even before making her fortune, she would often deliver babies for women who could not afford to pay for a midwife. She also supported many churches, and along with her son-in-law founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, the first African American church in the city. Biddy Mason’s work-ethic, keen mind for the real estate business, and careful money management may have made her the wealthiest African American woman in Los Angeles, but it was her compassion and generosity to the poor and needy that touched so many lives and is the true legacy she leaves behind for us all.

Today, be inspired to…Think about what you’ll be remembered for one day. Accomplishments are great, but even if your name is never written in history books, how do you think people will remember your life—were you kind, generous, understanding, patient, a good friend and listener? I love hearing about how hard my great-grandmother worked to care for her children, and I hope one day I’m remembered so highly.

Photo credit: wordonastreet.com

Diana, Princess of Wales

Yes, she was a princess and not an career activist or humble humanitarian, but with all the fuss people make about celebrities nowadays doing charity work, I think it’s all right to talk about the work Diana did, especially since she devoted so much of her life to helping others. Despite some of the very public troubles in her life, Diana, Princess of Wales, was a truly kind person with a compassionate heart who spent a lot of her time bringing attention to various charities. She started appearing at routine charity events as part of her official role, but soon she began to become more involved with charity groups of her own choosing. Her many causes included AIDS awareness, leprosy, the use of inhumane weapons, and the homeless. She headed several organizations like the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Barnardo’s and the Royal Academy of Music and was patron of many more. She supported charity efforts for the elderly, the arts, the Red Cross, and various hospitals at home and abroad. Diana used her unique position in life to help others. She had the time and money to devote so much of her life to charitable efforts, and she used the recognition her name received worldwide to draw attention to people that needed help. By the time of her divorce, she was involved in over a hundred different charities. With so much wealth and fame, Diana could have been just a spoiled princess, but she chose to do so much more. It takes a lot of good humor and long-suffering to be in the public eye as much as Diana was, and it really takes a lot of grace and selflessness to turn all that attention toward something worthy. While she was so often uncomfortable with the attention she received from the media, she knew that wherever she went the spotlight would follow, and she used it to the advantage of others. Diana, Princess of Wales was a thoughtful and compassionate person who used what she was blessed with to bless others and to make a difference in the world.

Today, be inspired to…Use any advantage you have—money, time, position, talent, anything—to help other people who may not have the same opportunities as you.

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Jane Addams

Jane Addams was a humanitarian who poured her heart and energy into community improvement and various social causes and was also the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Inspired by her parents work in charity and politics, she had a deep desire to help the poor but was initially uncertain of how to do so. She envisioned a society where everyone had a voice, from children and women to the downtrodden and disadvantaged, and where learning, community, and equality were valued. Jane set out to accomplish this dream by founding a settlement house called Hull House with the help of a friend. The purpose of Hull House and the twenty-five women who lived there was to give back to and improve the community around them by offering every sort of community service from night classes to further adult education and childcare for working parents to a library and a gym. The house promoted the study of social work, the development of the arts, and research and education of absolutely all sorts. Jane emphasized equality and democracy and encouraged women to take an interest in politics. In addition to running Hull House, she also gave lectures frequently to promote her ideas of education, peace, and suffrage outside of her community as well. Jane Addams was an all-around advocate for every issue needing promotion and person needing help, and she focused her work on a community that needed her, knowing that the way to building a better tomorrow starts right on your own neighborhood with the people you share your life with.

Today, be inspired to…Invest in your own community. If you’re going to live there, try to make it a nicer place for yourself and for others.

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Lottie Moon

I grew up Southern Baptist, so Lottie Moon will always be near and dear to my heart. I once used the Lottie Moon Christmas Post Office to mail someone a box of jello.

Born Charlotte Digges Moon, Lottie heard the call to the mission field while in college, but because unmarried women were not sent as missionaries by the Southern Baptist Convention, she had to wait a little while for that rule to be relaxed. At thirty-three, Lottie went to China where she developed a passion for ministering directly to the women in small villages. Her work was still limited by her single status, and she was often frustrated by her inability to do the work she really felt was needed. She would be forty-five before she could finally give up her job teaching school and move further inland to work with the villagers she felt needed her. And Lottie didn’t just “evangelize” in China; her purpose was also to comfort the ailing and advocate for the poor. She wrote to the states frequently, begging people to donate money to alleviate the suffering and poverty caused by political upheaval in China. She educated girls, something considered a waste of time by the Chinese, at no charge; tried to stop the practice of foot-binding; and tried to simply show love to the children by telling them stories and giving them attention. When there was no money to give, Lottie shared her own food and resources, starving herself to give to others. By the time other missionaries discovered what she was doing, she weighed only fifty pounds. She was sent home to recover but did not survive the trip. Lottie spent the better part of her life serving in China, leaving the wealthy life she grew up in for a place foreign and often frightening, where she was often lonely and her health was at risk. She adopted Chinese customs and learned to speak the language, devoting herself fully to a new people. Lottie changed many lives in China, but she also campaigned strongly for greater rights for women among the Southern Baptist denomination. Her own frustrations at being limited for being a woman led her to frequently write articles about how affective and necessary single women could be on the mission field. She could be quite forceful when she felt she was not receiving her due respect. Lottie Moon was a compassionate, determined, and industrious woman who devoted her life to sharing the Gospel with the people of China, ministering to the needs of the poor, and campaigning for greater responsibility for women in the mission field.

Today, be inspired to…Give something of yourself to others, whether it’s serving at a shelter or putting money in the Salvation Army can.

Photo credit: History’s Women

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was probably the most well-known humanitarian of all time. The lives she touched with her generosity, compassion, and humility are innumerable because she touched not only the lives of those she ministered directly to, but also to all of us who have heard her story. Teresa answered the lord’s calling at eighteen and was sent to India shortly afterward, where she would take her vows. She taught at a school for girls for many years, but she felt God was calling her to a greater need, to help the poorest and neediest people. She established the Missionaries of Charity Sisters, took a few lessons in nursing, and went out into the slums of India to help the sick and hungry. She and her companions cared for the sick and disabled, eased the last days of the dying, and started a colony for individuals with leprosy. She taught children in an open-air school, established an orphanage, and opened health clinics for the poor. As her work grew, groups of the Missionaries of Charity were established in more locations and joined by a similar men’s organization. She also founded several other organizations to include those of various religions and backgrounds who were also compelled to help. Her work spread to 123 different countries and continues today. Mother Teresa was a help and an advocate for the people that needed her the most, the sick, poor, disabled, and dying. She was unafraid to love those with HIV or leprosy who were shunned by society, and nationality, color, or creed made no difference to her. She spoke the language of love, which is for all people. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian efforts in 1979, and was beautified after her death by Pope John Paul II. The difference Mother Teresa made in the world just by addressing the needs that touched her heart is phenomenal. She was truly one of the world’s most compassionate and devoted humanitarians, an example for us all.

Today, be inspired to…Put others before yourself, and love those that others find difficult to love. Those are the people that need you most.

Photo credit: Mug Up

Audrey Hepburn

I bet you though she was just a pretty face, didn’t you? Actually, Audrey was a devoted humanitarian, and not just for the cameras. She experienced the hardships of war first-hand as a child, afraid for the safety of her family and often hungry when there was a shortage of food in Holland, where she was then living. Her health was seriously affected by the poor nutrition she received during this time, but she always persisted in approaching challenges optimistically. Naturally, her experiences as a child helped her develop a sympathy and compassion for others who experienced similar struggles. In 1988, Audrey became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, a position she valued far more than any acting role. She became a fierce advocate for the children she met in numerous countries living in desperate conditions, being a voice for the voiceless in front of governments, media, and the world. The poverty and hunger she saw in countries like Ethiopia, Turkey, and Venezuela was almost more than she could stand, and she was driven to help. Audrey dedicated five years of her life to touring desolate places and lending her fame to bring attention to suffering. Through UNICEF she arranged for food, vaccinations, and clean water to be provided for those who had none and built buildings and schools were none had been before. Her work with UNICEF stopped only because she became ill and could no longer continue, but work continues in her name through the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund. We may laud Audrey Hepburn for her performance as characters like Holly Golightly, but she showed the true depth and feeling of her soul through her work caring for the children of the world.

Find out more about Audrey Hepburn and her charity through her website. Www.audreyhepburn.com

Today, be inspired to…Be more than a pretty face. Beauty is shallow, and it fades. The kindness we show those who need it will always last.

Photo credit: Huffington Post

Margaret Nash

Brave, educated, and compassionate, Margaret Nash was a passionate voice for the repeal of apartheid in South Africa over several decades. She used her writing to bring awareness to the injustice, spoke out publicly to encourage others to act, and even used her physical presence in protests when necessary. Margaret was unafraid to confront the South African government for its discrimination against its own people, to scold the church for not pursuing equality for all God’s people, and to challenge the United Nations to condemn the practice of racial segregation. Even after apartheid was ended, she continued to fight for equality and social justice. Margaret Nash exemplified fearlessness, moral conviction, and persistence. She did not simply disapprove from afar, but actively tried to change what she felt was wrong. No single person can be credited with ending the practice of apartheid, but every voice for equality and justice makes a difference, and Margaret Nash’s contribution helped make the world a better place.

Today, be inspired to…Stand up and be bold when you see wrong in the world.

Picture credit: blacksash.org