I love to help with fundraisers but I could never be a professional fundraiser. For that reason, I expect to maintain my amateur status.
An important teaching moment came at a Business Cares food bank drive in front of a grocery store last weekend. One of our young helpers got schooled about generosity. After a man plopped two dimes into his coin can and was out of earshot, the kid muttered sarcastically, “Wow, THAT’s going to go a long way!” His Mother gently chastised him for it.”Don’t judge. Be grateful that they’ve given anything at all. Never concern yourself with the size of the donation. Just be happy that they gave.”
You could see the kid’s whole perspective change as he realized that man could have simply just walked past or even grumbled at him, like several before him had done. It made me take stock of all of the ways people stick their hands out at this time of year. Salvation Army kettles. Scan Away Hunger. Food Bank drives, toy drives, gift drives for seniors. It never seems to end and if you’re a generous person, you feel guilt if you don’t give every time. But you shouldn’t feel guilty. Feel good if you gave.
At that same food drive, a woman felt she needed to explain why she wasn’t making a donation. She volunteers at a Sally Ann kettle every day in December. (I did one three-hour shift!) We agreed that she is doing her part. But on her way out of the grocery store, she pushed a folded $20 into the can and said, “it’s never enough, is it.” That was a rhetorical question. It never is enough, but it’s something and something is better than nothing, even if it’s just two dimes.
As a generous person at heart and someone who is always there for others, I hate this time of year for I simply can know longer afford to give, those two dimes may be the difference between buying that carton of milk or not. So I give my time, knowledge and experience where I can, but it’s just not enough.
Seasons Greetings.