One of our young men’s efforts has particularly stood out. Deandre made the decision to donate his entire paycheck to our fundraising efforts.

Deandre came home one day and one of our coworkers asked him what he wanted to do to help with hurricane relief efforts. Immediately, he knew that he wanted to donate his whole paycheck from his job at the Harris Theater.

“It was an easy decision,” he said.

After taking a day to think about it, at the suggestion of his senior day coordinator Simona Iosif-Payton, he knew for sure that he wanted to do that.

“I just like helping people, I’m a helper,” Deandre explained, adding that he also likes to give money to a particular homeless man he sees while walking to school so that the man is able to buy something to drink from a nearby gas station.

Deandre said that he thinks he gets his desire to help others from his father, who also gives back to others.

“I want to be like him because he helps people so much,” he said.

And days after donating the money, Deandre is still feeling good about his decision.

“I just feel good [helping others] because I feel like I did something good,” he said.