Eight-year-old Neev Saraf wanted to help victims of the earthquake in Nepal. So he turned to what he had:
His piggy bank.
Every year on his birthday, Neev donates to local charities, such as the Toys for Tots and Salvation Army. This year he wanted to give the $384 he had collected to earthquake victims in Nepal, where his parents are from.
He wanted to give as much as possible, so he started soliciting from family and friends as well. He had a big goal: $25,000. But he ended up raising more than $28,000 -- in less than 10 days.
Neev's Mom and Dad helped by reaching out on Facebook, and they were amazed at the result.
"People I haven't met before, people I have met once or twice in my life, and and they gave him a thousand dollars, $500," said Prakash Saraf, Neev's father.
Kids at school chipped in change from their backpacks and brought in money from home.
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Gratitude and generosity, in Neev's case, is a family value.
"When we came to this country, we came with nothing," said Prakash Saraf. "This society gave us a lot. I would teach my son -- everybody -- that it's not always about taking, it's about giving, too."
For his part, Neev said he was never tempted to take a little of his piggy bank money and splurge on a toy or video game for himself. "I already have enough," Neev said. "I don't need more. And I need to help Nepal."
If you want to help Neev's cause, click here to donate to his CrowdRise site.
