Miley Cyrus VMA Stunt Raised Big Money Online For Homeless Youth Non-Profit

by: April D. Byrd

Miley Cyrus Showed off her real "assets" this time at the VMA's and shined a light  on the issue of poverty and homelessness in America. Even though her date has legal issues that are now out in the media and some people consider it just another PR stunt. Miley did a good thing that celebrities should imitate often. In Writer Carrie Arnold's post "I Dream Of A Selfie Free World" she discusses how celebrities and just your average selfie taker can start to reflect attention and use our resources to focus on what really matters.

" it's time for us to stop focusing on self and instead, focus on what is going on around us... Miley has won some of my respect because she chose to use her Video Music Award (VMA) to shed light on the social justice issue of poverty and homelessness. She could have used it to self-promote in a usual celebrity fashion. Instead, we saw political activism. This is what I wish to see in place of every selfie. What would our world look like if we stopped gazing at ourselves, broke out of our proverbial narcissism and turned our camera phones to the multiple issues of social injustice that have begun to fade into the background like old wallpaper?". 

"The New York Times reported that Miley's campaign for the homeless youth nonprofit My Friend’s Place amassed over $200,000 in less than 24 hours following the VMAs, in addition to God knows how much since then."

Arnold goes on to discuss the Ice Bucket Challenge. "The ALS association has received 70.2 million dollars in donations compared to the 2.5 million they received last year."  Even though the small things seem silly, we can all come together to use our platforms for good. Action comes when we start turning our camera phones around and working to resolve issues that can be helped in our little corner of the world.

What issue will you get behind? I agree that we can join Carrie in making September Selfie-free!!

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References:

http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/the-state-of-homelessness-2014

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/25/world/africa/ebola-outbreak/

http://www.polarisproject.org/about-us/overview

http://www.morguefile.com/archive

April D. Byrd is a Resident Support Staff for The Christian Women's Center A Non-Profit Organization dedicated to providing  shelter for women in crisis, believing they can receive physical, emotional and spiritual wholeness through the love of Christ. She is on Twitter.

Homeless to Harvard: One Student's Incredible Journey

David Boone is the latest high school student to be accepted to Harvard.  The 18 year old aspiring engineer turned down offers from Yale and Princeton to attend the Ivy League school in the fall. The only thing is that he is homeless.  That's right.  David Boone spent many a night sleeping in a park or at a friends house.  Sneaking into friends homes to shower first thing in the morning.  Until one day the principle of his school opened his home to Boone.  

Talk about a tough life!  But he fought almost every challenge imaginable including being lured into gangs and came out victorious.  He knew deep inside that this was NOT his destiny.

You can read more about his story here: http://bossip.com/592488/on-the-come-up-from-homeless-to-harvard-this-kid-deserves-major-props/#.T8gjiikB-TI.facebook 

This just goes to show that no matter how difficult your circumstances may seem there is always room to rise above and soar among the clouds.  Determination to succeed and the desire to surpass your current situation is all that you really need.  So stop waiting to the perfect time, or the perfect situation, or for the stars to align before you turn your situation around.  Chances are whatever you're going through is not as bad as what David went through.  And if you are in the same boat....take this as a lesson to know that you can succeed! 

It's time to re-write your future.  

This reminds me of a quote from JK Rowling (the Harry Potter Genius) who was on public assistance, and wrote the Harry Potter phenomenon from a coffee shop.

If any of you out there is in a position that makes you feel like you are at rock bottom....start building....there's no where else to go but UP!