Kindness can be found around every corner in our world, one simply needs to know where to look. But what about for those who cannot see? Seventeen-year-old Beatrice Levy decided to engage in an act of kindness to help those around her see the beautiful things life has to offer.
Beatrice is an incoming senior at St. Joseph Notre Dame High School and currently lives in Alameda, California. Beatrice is involved in various forms of service: tutoring through the National Honors Society, assisting in Make-A-Wish fundraisers, and doing religious service as a retreat leader and Eucherist minister.
But her kindness does not end here.
In order to help provide for those in need, Beatrice collects used glasses and donates them. She began by placing advertisements in church bulletins and school newspapers; she also designed her own collection boxes and placed them in various locations, including a local optometrist’s office. Every few weeks, Beatrice takes these boxes of glasses to organizations that refurbish them to be reused in other countries. She has worked with Lions Club International, Doctors Without Borders, and the University of California Berkeley.
Beatrice’s small act of kindness has expanded greatly. She received thousands of donations so far, and it has been challenging to transport them to the companies that refurbish them. Because Beatrice is so young, she is reliant on her parents to help with transportation. Being able to go to and from the organizations and donation boxes has been a bit tedious and difficult for her; however, she refuses to let this minor setback stop her from helping others see.
Beatrice’s very supportive parents have helped her throughout this process greatly. When asked about her struggles, Beatrice said she was very “thankful that [her] parents have helped [her] to travel to various collection and donation sites.”
Her family has played a large role in her love for service and in her inspiration for her newfound organization. Beatrice’s great aunt was blind, and Beatrice felt upset because “although she could touch things like nature, or art sculptures, or her daughter on her wedding day, or her newborn grandson, she could never SEE them. [Beatrice’s] experiences have inspired [her] to do work that supports healthy eyesight, because seeing is such a wonderful gift.”
It’s clear Beatrice has a true passion for others and the world around her. In such a beautiful world, she simply wants others to be given the chance to appreciate the beauty around her. Despite challenges faced, Beatrice continues to persevere and help others see the beauty in life and kindness.
