Gabe O’Neill is an active about.me community member, frequently and generously engaging with others. Professionally Gabe is a consultant and social entrepreneur.
With his (then) 9-year-old daughter MaryMargaret, Gabe co-founded Kids Are Heroes, a non-profit that empowers, encourages and inspires children to become leaders through volunteerism and community involvement. By showcasing and supporting children who are making a difference through their selfless acts of giving, Kids Are Heroes cultivates a culture of volunteerism and social engagement.
As an active member of the about.me community, it’s no surprise that he attracts attention. Not too long ago, Gabe received this message in his about.me inbox:
“If you ever need live music or an original song for one of your charities I would love to be involved. The world can use more people who actively spread goodness like you do. God Bless!” – Rachel Zevita
Some of you may remember Rachel from our Featured Content announcement, or more likely from her time as a star on American Idol. A wonderfully talented singer, Rachel reached out to volunteer her time and talent for Kids Are Heroes. Gabe was thrilled, and the rest is history.
Thank you Gabe from @KidsAreHeroes! Looking forward to making some beautiful music together for a great cause!
— Rachel Zevita (@TheRachelZevita) July 28, 2013
Rachel will be performing at Kids Are Heroes day 2013 in Frederick, Maryland. The event celebrates volunteerism and kids making a difference.
Rachel will headline the event, which begins at 10am on September 14th. You can also hear a track from Rachel’s new album on her about.me page or purchase music on bandcamp.
It’s both exhilarating and gratifying to see generous people connecting and collaborating – the about.me team loves to hear these success stories.
If you have a story about connecting through about.me, please email us directly or leave a comment below!
Very kind of you all to write about this connection. And you have no idea how important it is to us. We were actively trying to engage “celebrities” all summer to help draw people to our event. But between the diva requests and the non-committal attitudes, we were unable to secure anyone of note. So how cool is it that someone who loves what we are doing just jumps in to help with no assumptions about anything in return?
This is a relationship that we will develop well beyond Kids Are Heroes Day. We hope to be a close witness to Rachel’s rise in stardom and are quickly becoming her biggest fans!
I volunteer because it just makes me feel good about myself!
[…] about.me is a fantastic way to connect with other interesting people. It’s extremely easy to send someone a compliment and respond with a “thanks”. Frequently these small tokens of appreciation turn into larger interactions, and even partnerships or relationships. […]
[…] Online interactions on about.me frequently develop into offline relationships, like meeting for coffee, getting hired, or even having an American Idol finalist to perform for your charity. […]