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Philanthropic Hero Biography
Gil Castellanos
Elmhurst, Illinois
After seeing news accounts of the refugee crisis in the
Yugoslavian province of Kosovo, 10-year-old Gil Castellanos was alarmed.
Immediately he began talking with his mother Laura about the effects of war and
asked her what he could do. Laura told Gil to keep the refugees in his
prayers-- Gil said that that was not enough.
Working with his 11-year old sister Ashley, 4-year-old
brother Michael, and three children from two other families – Janet, Ray
and Diane Barry and Taylor Thorpe, Gil created Simply from the Heart, a door to
door effort to raise $1 from each resident of his hometown. Accompanied by
parents, and under local supervision of The American Red Cross of Greater
Chicago, Simply from the Heart's six week effort raised $7,100 for Kosovar
refugees. |
