NBA veteran Steve Nash believes in helping kids

As a professional athlete, I've been given a great opportunity to have an impact on the world beyond my own backyard. And one of the best ways I see to do that is by helping children.

Kids are the future. They need guidance from adults and a support system to give them the tools necessary to grow into productive citizens.

That's why I created the Steve Nash Foundation in 2001. Our goals are simple: to give underserved children a chance at good health, a good education, and the opportunity to live in an environment where they can flourish. The foundation has been so rewarding for me because we've educated ourselves, put together great teams and made one another better people while doing it.

I grew up in an idyllic town in Canada with great community support and a sense of commitment to one another.

My parents taught us the value of giving by example. My dad volunteered with the Special Olympics when I was young, and both of my parents always spoke with an understanding and sensitivity to others. That influenced my thinking when starting my foundation.

We focus our efforts on helping underserved kids in British Columbia, Arizona and Paraguay, my wife's home country. I've always had an awareness of the importance of helping children in need. But becoming the father of twin daughters — Lourdes and Isabella, who'll turn 6 this Thursday — has only increased that awareness.

Last month, the foundation broke ground for our Educare Center in Phoenix, our most ambitious project to date. It will help at-risk kids and their families through early-learning programs, a health care center and more.

We all have the opportunity to take action in a way that shares our vision for a better world.

Make A Difference Day is a chance for all of us — kids, teenagers, adults, even NBA players — to get started.