Carmela Smith is not just a talented successful millennial living in Sacramento. She also makes it a point to give back; and as such takes a key role in community affairs. A member of the Greater Sacramento Urban League’s Young Professionals (GSULYP), Smith also just finished her terms as Chief of Staff for the National Urban League’s Young Professionals.   At the end of the day, Smith explains: “I like seeing and helping other people get credit for what they do.”

The GSULYP is focused on empowerment for the people of Sacramento. Thus, topics covered include: education, youth empowerment, economic empowerment, health, enhancement of quality of life, civic engagement empowerment, civil rights and racial justice empowerment.

Maribela Cruz has proven that you don’t have to be an adult to participate in helping those less fortunate than yourselves in Sacramento. She may only be 10 but she was on a mission earlier this month to feed and clothe the needy. On Valentine’s Day, she worked with Clothing and Food for Everyone (CAFFE), collecting backpacks for the homeless. She could probably teacher the older generation a thing or two about social media as well since she posted on Twitter and Pinterest for her campaign to make this happen. As well, she publicized her goal the old fashioned way – going door-to-door to get backpacks. She wanted to get 75 and she ended up with 83 so there’s someone who knows how to really give back to the community. CAFFE President, Armando Flores pointed out the importance of what she did for everyone. She said: “For them to see who’s in our world, the people who live in our world who sometimes we don’t notice that we don’t pay attention to.”

No matter what one’s age or even their own social standing, these two cases prove there is always help to be given to the community. There is so much appreciation from the receivers that the givers often feel like they were the receivers too.