| Recently a group of people in Brooklyn, New York | | | | with his charity work. One of several life altering |
| helped obtain food donations and fed 800 people at | | | | moments happened to him after he read a passage |
| the Children of the City annual Thanksgiving food | | | | the book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective |
| drive. The organization has reached thousands of | | | | People," which helps people in achieving |
| children at home, school, and on the streets and | | | | interdependent effectiveness by offering seven |
| playgrounds. | | | | principles. |
| "Our group went to food distributors and asked | | | | The book speaks about an emotional bank account... |
| them to donate canned foods and turkeys. We | | | | whereas if you do good for others and keep |
| obtained enough food to feed more than 800 people, | | | | commitments, you make deposits in other people's |
| who my family and I along with other members of | | | | emotional bank accounts. As these deposits grow, |
| Children of the City helped distribute to the families," | | | | your relationship grows. Think about times when you |
| said Rocco Basile, one of the charity's board | | | | made a broken promise or a hurtful statement. If |
| members. "With support like this we can effectively | | | | your emotional bank account is full from past |
| reach and change the lives of many families, | | | | deposits, people will forgive you. |
| improving their quality of life by breaking the cyclical | | | | He continued, "This concept has helped me repair |
| effects of poverty and giving them hope for their | | | | many broken relationships. This has changed the way |
| future." | | | | I treat others. Relationships are the source of my |
| For more than two decades since 1981, this | | | | happiness." |
| organization has successfully served the | | | | This was an epiphany as he realized that there was a |
| underprivileged children and families in the inner-city | | | | time in his life when nobody would have come to his |
| communities Southwest Brooklyn, helping them | | | | funeral, never mind speaking at it. |
| overcome welfare and poverty and become | | | | Now, one of the elements that he has realized is |
| homeowners, businesspeople, and more. Many | | | | important for this process to work is that it begins |
| families have turned away from lifestyles of violence | | | | with education. Many poeple believe that providing a |
| and gang activity and have overcome substance | | | | role model for youth gives them an understanding. |
| abuse. They are now pouring time back into the | | | | People interested in changing their lives might ask |
| community by volunteering. | | | | themselves, "What is my talent and how can I |
| The giving team includes many certified professionals, | | | | serve?" |
| along with 50 highly committed and trained volunteers | | | | People like Rocco Basile can also serve others by |
| who visit about one thousand children each month. | | | | sharing experiences and showing others how to live a |
| The organization maintains information on over 500 | | | | life of ethics, morals and a strong sense of principal. |
| families in the community and gives them | | | | A life that you can be proud of gives tranquility and |
| encouragement and resources. | | | | happiness. |
| In recent years Basile has been spending more time | | | | |