Uncertainty Over Taxes May Affect Charitable Giving

When I was in junior high school, I met a boy who changed my life. His name was Adam. No, it's not what you're thinking. You see, I grew up in the rural south. Before I met Adam, I thought we were poor. My parents struggled to pay the bills at our house, but we always had food on the table. We had a roof over our heads. And despite the fact that I didn't have the coolest clothes or the latest styles, I always had something to wear.

But Adam was different. His shoes had holes on the bottom. He wore the same clothes every day. He needed a bath. The only time he had something to eat was during snack time at the center where I was helping out. Meeting Adam -- and spending time with him over the summer -- gave me a lot of perspective about my own circumstances and how poverty affects families and children. And years later, when I got a letter from Adam, telling me he was still in school, I realized that it was possible for one person to make a difference.