This article was written by my niece, Vanessa Johnson: 

   Justice for the Least of Their Neighbors:  

     Justice is defined as "just behavior or treatment." When Fr. Arrupe said that, "... which does not issue forth in justice for the least of their neighbors is a farce" I think he meant that educated men and women should care most of all for those less fortunate than them. 

      There are several people whom I know that fit this definition of "educated," but very few strive for justice both in their neighboring communities and in other parts of the world. One person in particular is my Uncle Marc Gold. When he was young he taught school in Harlem and was voted New York City’s “teacher of the year.” He later counseled HIV/AIDS patients in San Francisco at the beginning of the crisis. Uncle Marc then created a program 19 years ago called "100 Friends" that works overseas in various countries, mostly in Asia, such as Burma and Tibet, as well as in Africa in places like Mozambique where he came to visit my family when we lived there. 

      Originally personal friends and now many ordinary people donate to his program and my uncle then travels thousands of miles to distribute out the money to the neediest people. According to him in, "the most compassionate, appropriate, culturally compatible, constructive and practical manner possible." My uncle voluntarily takes the money donated by "friends" and personally delivers it to people that need it to survive or simply receive a bit more justice. This is genuine compassion and selflessness that cannot be found in most people.

      My uncle does this task for the "least of others." He takes great pride in changing the lives of a few dozen people every year and gets a joy that cannot be expressed in words but can only be seen if you travel with him to the rural areas and urban slums that he visits on a yearly basis. He has even gone and visited my father, who works for USAID, in the war-zone of Afghanistan in order to offer support to individuals and grassroots organizations to assist the people living in some of the most horrible living conditions imaginable. He put his own life in danger in order to seek justice for others. Recently his efforts to build a school in Afghanistan were realized. To me this is true altruism that is a rarity in the world today.  In these developing countries, the $10 that buys us a "happy meal" in the United States can supply an individual with necessities such as antibiotics and healthcare, or even a check up for the entire family. It is small contributions like this that can make such a difference in someone’s life without having to carry out impossible tasks and it is this that inspires me to make contributions for the “least of my neighbors” not matter how big or small. 

      I am in awe of the contributions that people from all over the US and abroad make to my uncle's organization. It never ceases to amaze me at the amount people are willing to donate on behalf of those that deserve justice. Although many people make their contribution by writing a check or sending in some money by clicking a button on a website, I will never get over the pride that comes from knowing that my Uncle Marc goes himself to offer the support that he knows is most needed. It is essential to him and his contributors that he personally interact and know the stories of the people that he is helping.

      I remember even as a young child sitting in the living room with my family listening to him tell stories about the phenomenal people that he has met over the years. Some of these people he has kept in touch with for 20 years; he has seen them grow, get an education, get a job and learn to support their own families. Some are even able to help others. He forms relationships that surpass anything that most big organizations can do because he is out in the field and learning about who needs help the most and who he is helping. He once told us about a woman in Tibet that he met almost 20 years ago who was suffering from a serious ear infection. He was able to take her to the doctor where a $1 antibiotic may have saved her life and then provided a $30 hearing aid which restored her hearing for the first time since childhood. I was amazed to learn that you could make such a big difference to a person’s life with so little money.  My uncle Marc has been able to help thousands of individuals, families and small organizations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. This is truly inspirational and something that I will pursue as I grow and develop in my new college community.