Devon and Jessie Green:
Devon's Heal the World and Jessie Too
by Amy Rauch Neilson

When Devon Green started Devon's Heal the World a decade ago, www.devonshealtheworld.com, she came up with a motto from the get-go: "I may be only one person, but I can be one person who makes a difference." Since then, thousands of people in the community of Stuart, Florida, have embraced Devon's spirit and determination. And true to her word, Devon has made — and continues to make — a difference.

From Small Beginnings
When she was just five years old, a neighbor gave Devon a bag of cans to recycle. Devon liked the idea of getting money in exchange for the cans. Many kids might have used the cash as spending money and stopped there. Not Devon. She decided to go a step further — she would share a portion of it to help good causes, like the local animal shelter.

She began to ask other neighbors to save cans for her, and before she knew it, business was booming. So were her contributions to local charities. Devon went from buying and delivering cans of pet food to the local animal shelter to raising money for the shelter.

The "ABC'S" of Recycling
Fast-forward to the present. Devon, 15, currently runs her business with a partner — her younger sister, Jessie, 9, who joined the business four years ago. Since the early days of the business — now called "Devon's Heal the World and Jessie Too", the sisters have become experts on recycling.

"We collect the ABC's of recycling (aluminum, brass, copper, and stainless steel) from about 100 local businesses," Jessie explains. From there, Devon and Jessie exchange the metals for cash at nearby Treasure Coast Recycling. "We put half of our money into the bank, and divide up what is left between local and out-of-town charities and what we need for spending money," Jessie says. They have enlisted the support of 100 local businesses.

Following in her Sister's Footsteps
From the start, Devon gave of both her money and her time — serving as a volunteer for local charities and events. In 2001, when she was 10, Devon came up with the idea to donate her birthdays as well. That year, she raised $3,500 through a fundraiser for the Humane Society.

The following year, she raised $75,000 for the Hibiscus Children's Center, a shelter for abused and neglected children, which funded bunk beds for the kids as well as the Center's Crisis Nursery. The Nursery program may have been cut that year due to a budget shortfall, but after Devon's fundraising efforts covered nearly half of what the program needed, the Florida state legislature came up with the difference.

Devon continues to donate her birthday to a different cause each year. "Many of my projects have involved helping underprivileged children because I just love their innocence and I want them to be able to keep that innocence for as long as possible," Devon says. "I also do a lot of work for animals because, like children, they cannot speak up for themselves. Someone needs to be there for those who cannot save themselves."

Now, Jessie is doing the same. "My first big fund raiser was when I donated my sixth birthday to the kids at the Hibiscus Children's Center," Jessie says. "I did a 'Toy Drive' and asked the adults and kids in our community to give me lots of birthday presents, but not for me to keep — they were for the kids at the shelter. We collected a huge box of toys, school supplies, and clothes, which we delivered to the shelter on my sixth birthday."

This past spring, Jessie used her ninth birthday to raise money for the local Humane Society as well as for ARC (Advocates for the Rights of the Challenged). "We have been hit directly by three hurricanes over the past two years," Jessie says. "We need to plan for those who can't plan for themselves in case we get hit by another storm." Jessie set out to raise $10,000 for Hurricane Supply Kits for these two organizations — and ended up raising $11,508.

Leading By Example
The sisters also volunteer together. "We help at events where money is raised for good causes," Jessie says. Those causes range from the Humane Society and the Visiting Nurses to speaking to peers at the Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scout troops and schools. "We tell other kids about what we do and stress that we are just normal kids ourselves," Jessie says. "We want them to know that they are just as special as we are and that they can also make a difference if they put their minds to it."

The time and money Jessie and Devon donate have become a part of their everyday lives. "My mom and dad have taught Devon and I that if you want to lead others, you have to be the first one to step forward and take action. They call this leading by example."

Devon isn't sure what direction the business will take in the future, but she knows that it will always be a part of her. "Right now, Jessie and I are running the business together, but once I leave for a university, Jessie will be in charge of everything," Devon says. "When Jessie leaves for a university someday, I'm not sure what the fate of the business will be. But I do know that, no matter where I go and what else I do, I'll always find time to give back in some way."

-- Photos courtesy of the Green family.