Holly Robinson Peete

Teaching Her Kids to Help People In Need

by Mac Duffy

Hollywood Star, Holly Robinson Peete, loves her role as a real-life mother. She and her husband, former NFL quarterback, Rodney Peete, have a mission: to raise their four children to be responsible citizens with a good head on their shoulders.

"I'm concerned about apathy in this country," she says. "Everyone is always thinking, 'Me, me, me." Holly wants to inspire her kids to think in terms of "How do we improve ourselves (i.e. the world)?", and feels that we all need to figure out how to get on the same page when it comes to helping others.

This popular television star is no stranger to giving. In 1997, she and her husband, Rodney, founded the HollyRod Foundation in honor of Holly's father, Matthew T. Robinson Jr., a very successful writer and producer who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 20 years ago (He sadly lost his battle in August, 2002). "With Parkinson's, you have to have resources. The medicine is so expensive and is barely covered by insurance," Holly said. Deeply moved by her father's struggle and that of others, she and her husband set out to create an organization that would help patients with limited financial means by providing them (and their families) financial, physical and emotional support.

So, how does she juggle four kids, her NFL star husband, her own successful career, AND a high profile philanthropic organization?

"With four kids, well, things get hectic, but you can do it. It's all relative. Even one kid can be a handful. My Mom, Dolores, is a great example. She was a pioneer for women in the entertainment industry. My Mom has such a spirit and I get everything from her."

"With any family, there are tons of challenges, bad days, disorganized days, but once things go wrong, it's how you cope when things don't go as planned (that matters). I figured out how to breathe when things go wrong...I think of the people who are starting over after a tragedy...people from all walks of life. (I) look at those kinds of hurdles, starting from scratch, and remember (to be thankful). When things are a struggle, I try to think where other people are right now. You just have to keep that perspective around you."

"When Katrina hit, we decided to shift our mission a bit. We want our children to be responsible citizens with a good head on their shoulders, (to) set them up to have good judgment and the ability to battle the need to be "cool".

She and her husband decided this would be the topic of their regular family dinner discussions: "Personal responsibility to make our country better."

To help convey this message to her children, she is taking them with her to an "amazing shelter" in Houston, Texas for Hurricane Katrina Victims called the Bonita House of Hope. And, in an effort to help her children understand the true meaning of giving, she is having them go through their own closets to select clothes that they can donate, making it clear how those kids (in the shelter) have nothing.

"They were a little moany and groany at first (especially when I told them they had to choose from clothes they loved), but once you explain what it's about and who it's for, it's wonderful to see how excited your kids get about helping. It's that kind of feeling of philanthropy that you want to connect people with. It's part of the reason we started the Hollyrod Foundation."

Holly feels that we can get so busy with our own drama, it's hard to understand that feeling. "Too many people want to do what works immediately and leave everything to be dealt with later. And, then people forget. When the cameras are gone and the hype is over, the victims are still there, starting from scratch." She wonders what we could accomplish if more people could experience that feeling.

For Holly and her kids, right now they are doing their part in Houston, TX. For you and your kids, it could be volunteering at your local community centers.

According to Holly, "When you know you have a tangible connection to people who truly need help and you hear the tiny milestones (of progress), you feel like you are really making a difference."

At the end of the day, isn't that what we all want?

For more information on how you can participate with Holly and her family in their efforts to find a cure for Parkinson's, visit www.hollyrod.org.