In this article:
Naomi Judd makes a difference

Make A Difference Day

A SERIES ON THE VOLUNTEER WORLD

Change a life

Even tiny efforts are powerful.

By Tyra Banks

Giving back always has been important to me. I'm sure this value comes from my mother, Carolyn London. She is selfless, sometimes to a fault. Even if she's really ill, she'll still insist on taking care of the family -- or even a stranger. Once, at a store, I saw her hand money from her wallet to a woman in line because the woman had come up short and you could tell she needed help.

After I began modeling at 17, my mom wouldn't let success go to my head. She told me over and over that it's not me they're saying is so great, it's an image, a product. And I shouldn't connect this product to myself. Whatever rejection came, I was able to say, "OK, maybe I'll have to repackage the product and sell it a different way." Her advice probably saved my self-esteem. Now I work to help teen girls improve theirs, through my TZONE program.

You don't have to be famous or rich to make a difference. Most large charities say they make more from the $1 and $5 donations than the million-dollar gifts. Small gestures matter: Recently in New York City I saw a girl crying, so I asked her why she was upset. I found out her boyfriend had just broken up with her over the phone. She said that, just by sharing a few minutes of my day, I had changed her life. Tiny things really do make a difference. And we all have time for that.

On Make A Difference Day, supermodel and TV star Tyra Banks culminated a clothing drive to benefit Dress for Success, a national nonprofit that helps women re-enter the workforce. Her talk show's audience and staff donated hundreds of pieces of professional attire in a wide range of sizes.