Ilyasah Shabazz Quotes

My parents taught my sister and me the importance of giving back and making a difference in another person's life.

My humanitarian work evolved from being with my family. My mom, my dad, they really set a great example for giving back. My mom was a nurse, my dad was a school teacher. But my mom did a lot of things for geriatrics and elderly people. She would do home visits for free.

Acting is a smaller piece in a big puzzle. There are charity things I want to immerse myself in and want to have the time to go and give back to people who don't have the opportunities I have. It's a very important thing to me.

It's been ingrained in me, from my parents and others, this idea of making a difference in the world.

Doing what we can to repair the world was instilled in me from an early age. I will never forget my siblings and me knitting squares for blankets to be sent to the troops during World War II. This was an inspiration from my mother.

On Christmas morning, before we could open our Christmas presents, we would go to this stranger's home and bring them presents. I remember helping clean the house up and putting up a tree. My father believed that you have a responsibility to look after everyone else.

There's a long line of difference makers in my family. I'm following in the footsteps of some really strong men and women who have showed me what it means to give back; it's the greatest way to fulfill yourself.

Giving back has always been instilled in me since I was a little girl. To me, it's been something that's a been part of my life.

I never sat down and said, 'Now I must make a contribution, that one person can make a difference.' But I felt I was in a position where I could contribute. I never thought of it in the light of history or my brothers. I just felt I had an obligation.

Volunteer service is Dad's true north.

It is very important for me to give forward in helping out every Filipino.

We feel like if we can give back, that's what we are called to do. So we've been fortunate to do a lot of really cool things and touch a lot of people's lives.

The example set by my grandparents and parents - that of giving one's time, talent, voice and resources, either from one's own home or from the highest office in the land - had a profound effect on me and my siblings.

I'm most interested in public service. I think that's something that I got from being part of my family, which is such an honor.

If I can't give back to the society, then this isn't a good life I am leading.

When you stop giving and offering something to the rest of the world, it's time to turn out the lights.

I do everything I can on a daily basis just so I can have something to give back to the world.

Volunteering is a window into the passions of the soul.

I grew up with the word "volunteer" as a very powerful word in my family. I was inspired by my mother and by how selfless our family was toward others who didn't have enough.

He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others.

A wise man once said, 'Every one of us is given the gift of life, and what a strange gift it is. If it is preserved jealously and selfishly, it impoverishes and saddens. But if it is spent for others, it enriches and beautifies.' My fellow Americans: We can debate policies and programs, but in the end what separates the two parties in this election campaign is whether we use the gift of life for others or only ourselves.

Something that was instilled in me by my parents at a very young age is that there is no happy life without a life of service.

There's something profoundly liberating about giving, yet we don't do it often enough. It begs the question: why not? For some of us, our demanding schedules overtake our time to volunteer. For others, our fear of economic instability manifests a mindset dominated by pernicious lies like, "You can't afford to give" and "If you give, you won't have enough". However, truth of the matter is we simply cannot afford to not give back!

As a person, you want to feel like you're giving back. That's something I've always enjoyed doing.

My parents really raised me with the value that it's important to give back, and I've always gravitated towards non-profits and charities that work with children.