Generosity – the quality of being kind and generous : I was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and neighbors.
This past October local youth groups, many associated with local churches, participated in a “Trick or Treat so others may eat” food drive to benefit the food pantry at RHM. Bags were distributed in each of their local neighborhoods on Sunday and were collected filled with food donations the following Wednesday. Cars, vans and trucks pulled to the loading docks to empty and weight the food collected.
These children collected almost 8,000lbs of food stuff to feed those in need…Generosity, given.
Then there’s the story of a single mother who for the first time in her life was having to ask for help. Only a year ago she had a good job and was making a comfortable living. That job ended and she couldn’t immediately find a new one so she took classes to improve her chances of finding a better job but had only been able to find one with unstable hours and low pay thus far. In order to get by she sold everything she had of value, lost the home she’d been in for years and was forced to rent. She was behind in most of her payments, including her rent, and didn’t know how she was ever going to tell her child they may have to find a new home for her pet…Generosity, needed.
The thing is, you can hear this or similar stories almost every day and what comes to mind is we are all only a few bad breaks away from finding ourselves in much the same situation — generosity given today may be generosity needed tomorrow.
No doubt my new job is changing me, changing my opinions, certainly changing the very way I view some things. You can do everything right and circumstances may still go very wrong for you.
Tis the holiday season, a season for giving, a season for paying it forward, a season for generosity. Hopefully, you’re able to be on the giving side and able to help someone who finds themselves this year needing.
We can read about the worlds problems of hunger, homeless, broken but until we come face to face with these people or experience it ourselves it means so very little. In my past life my work required me to visit factories inside the Mexican borders where I first encountered poverty and a change in my occurred. Another change occurred when I lost a job a few years ago and faced financial difficulties. I find is difficult to accept when the wealthy continue to get wealthier while the under privileged keep losing more. This is well said and I like the image which demonstrates your message.
Monte, It’s certainly been an awakening for me seeing the hardships of others each day. Many of them of course have other issues or additions which keep them in a life of constant poverty but there are many who find themselves there by luck the draw. Many were living pay-check to pay-check and when those stopped coming in it was a quick decent. There is certainly a widening gulf between the haves and the have-nots and it’s certainly clear few who are representing us in our government have a clue or the guts call it as it is. I almost feel like I owe my children an apology for placing them in such a world.
I feel the same with my grandkids. What a world we are offering them.
It’s inspiring to think that, even when times are tough, people can still find the generosity to donate what they can.
Yes, there are so many good people out there that give what they can.
Excellent post Earl. In spite of what we often see in the news, people still tend to be caring and compassionate. Given a chance to help others, most prove to be very kind and generous. To see that in action is very moving. I tip my hat to you and the work you’re doing.
Thanks, PJ. Yes, the news agencies most often focus on the bad and then maybe uses the last 3-5 minutes of air time or a small posted section for a “feel good” story. Fair and balanced reporting… :-) Thanks, I appreciate that.
Your post sort of puts into words why volunteering has become so important to me! I realize that I can’t save the whole world, at best all I can do is perhaps shine a little light into someone’s otherwise dark life. I always hope that at some level it makes a difference! Thanks for your thoughts and hard work!!!
Steve, you’re right. We can’t save the world but I do believe that each small act of kindness nudges it a little bit in the right direction. Thanks and thank-you for all your volunteer efforts!
A fine post at this time of year to remind us of those around us who are in desperate situations.
Most of us are only a bad turn of events away from joining that group. Our government seems to have too many wealthy members (both parties) who don’t seem to fully grasp what it is to not have a job any longer, no income, and no glimmer of brighter times ahead. I like the picture which illustrates the need for all of us to support local food drives and agencies dedicated to helping those in need.
Don, I fully agree with you but I hope times will become better again soon. Thanks!
Earl, these are true and well put words.
And it’s reassuring to read this, especially from a European perspective. The last news from the U.S. were full of tea partyisms, which could easily lead to the wrong conclusion that most of the Americans are drifting to strong neoconservative values.
Markus, news has become nothing more then another commodity to sell and what sells is the outrageous. So it’s the nut jobs like the tea partiers, Sarah Palins and Glen Becks that grab much of the air time being marketed as fair and balanced news. Yet there still exist good people here, as everywhere, who believe in themselves and their fellow human beings.
What we are in great need of here is leaders who believe their word is their bond and that sometimes you have to stand for something bigger then yourself. They need to remember that they have accepted a duty to serve and protect all the people not just the rich ones. What we seem to have currently are leaders bought and paid for by big money and corporations. So it’s not surprising that the rest of the world can’t hear the voice and heart of the average American.