Serinda Swan hears the word “action” every day, but not just when she’s making out with The Rock on Ballers or dressing like a superhero for Marvel. She’s swimming in a sea of nonprofits, only her call to action is coming at it from another angle. And if we’re being honest, she’s just the kind of badass the nonprofit community needs.
Every day we hear about a barrage of new organizations, all aimed at solving the world’s problems, but by the time we get around to hitting the help button to donate, we’re exhausted. Maybe it’s all scrolling on social media, or maybe there’s just too much going on around us to process. Either way, not enough is getting done.
The Inhumans actress, however, is using her nonprofit, Deedly, to teach young people about humanity in classrooms, something she feels might have been lacking in the old school structures, but she’s also pushing for them to take control of their future, too, not just learn.
“Our current education system only focuses on the capacity of the mind, not the heart. And the heart is what makes you act,” Swan told Mandatory. “Deedly is meant to be a catalyst for that new sense of inspiration.”
Not only does the program inform young people about major environmental issues, as well as controversial ones like mental health, it puts heavy emphasis on diversity and equality. But these kids aren’t just studying the issues; they’re taking matters into their own hands. That kind of mindful learning put into action can only help a generation coming up in a struggling world as more people consume, litter and struggle to find adequate drinking water.
Swan spends plenty of her own time acting. In her latest role on Coroner, she made it clear she wasn’t afraid to cut off all her hair, gain weight and throw herself into a genuine panic attack with the cameras rolling. She does whatever it takes to bring her roles to life, and that kind of passion gets injected into her philanthropy, too. When you hear her speak about her passion project and the people and causes it supports, you know she’s not going anywhere light-handed.
Let that be a lesson to you: Take what you love and inject every fiber of your being into it. Just because something doesn’t already exist doesn’t make it wrong. In fact, if you feel strongly about something, it’s really just an idea that needs action put into it.
So how does Deedly work?
More Inspire: Justin Baldoni Is ‘Man Enough’ To Raise The Bar On Modern Masculinity
Deedly dollars are real donations made by real donors that get converted into “play money” that kids can donate to a charity of their choice once they’ve studied and taken quizzes on the cause. It’s a middle man (or woman) that allows for double the impact, and 100 percent of those donations go through, so not only are young people learning about the issues that interest them, they’re experiencing the empowering feeling of helping a cause that’s close to their hearts. Because Deedly, like Swan, understands the importance of the capacity of the heart.
“It’s giving young people the ability to choose the future they want to be a part of,” she said. “And they’re directly affecting the lives of other people at the same time.”
Swan has recently gone from the gorgeous ‘good lord, who was that’ guest-star roles to the main attraction, and rightfully so. When good people do good things, people take notice. Which is why each role she books is attached to her call to action, getting donations to her nonprofit so that young people, as many as 3,000 at a time, might be inspired to make their world something they can be proud of.
Each Inspire guest we’ve had come in has, at one point, said the same thing: They all wish they’d learned what they’re teaching when they were young. Sounds like Serinda is swimming up the right stream. Now it’s your turn.
Take action with Deedly today starting right here. And if you can, donate here.
Follow Deedly on Instagram.
Serinda
-
Serinda #1
-
Serinda #2
-
Serinda #3
-
Serinda #4
-
Serinda #5
-
Serinda #6
-
Serinda #7
-
Serinda #8
-
Serinda #9
-
Serinda #10
-
Serinda #11