A Good Deed Recognized...

On Sunday I was handed a small piece of paper, a paper announcing a donation drive. A young man in our congregation is finishing up his Eagle Scout award by organizing a donation drive to bring help to people he's never met.

It is a noble thing to do.

When I grew up in this same neighborhood as a teenager thirty-five plus years ago, getting your Eagle Scout award was a big deal. The scouting program has taken some hits recently, but in many families, getting your Eagle is still an expected goal for young men. I didn't get mine, but my oldest son did. And he did it on his own, meaning, we didn't push him to do it.

My son's Eagle Project was a donation drive, too. But he didn't collect coats, warm clothing, and/or blankets. He collected books and donated them to inmates at our local county jail. My son didn't know those who would benefit for his hard work, either.

I looked at the paper last Sunday and it made me feel good. This teenager didn't have to do this. He could spend his time doing other things--going on dates, playing video games, hanging out with friends. He chose to spend time organizing, notifying, collecting, and making sure his project takes place.

It's easy to knock a group of people or an entire generation. I see it all the time on social media--those older who believe themselves wiser ripping kids who happen to be the same age as my own children. It's unfair, of course. Maybe us old fogies are jealous of their youth and their potential. I mean, there's nothing stopping me from doing the same thing. It all comes down to choice.

The donation goes until Wednesday, the 9th of January. If you're in the Davis County area (or surrounding areas...) and you'd like to donate coats, warm clothes, and blankets, hit me up and I'll get you the information. It'll be for a good cause and a noble one, too.

We Done Good...

Today I attending a series of meetings at work where we discussed poverty. 

I don't think I've ever written that sentence before in my life. I've heard that when a sentence reaches a certain point, the odds of that sentence having ever been written before diminishes, so we're constantly inventing phrases never before written. I wonder if anyone else ever wrote: Today I attended a series of meetings at work where we discussed poverty. Could be a first.

Of course, many meetings are held all over the world where poverty is discussed. And now our meetings are included among those already held.

I work for a government agency. We have been tasked with the charge to try and help our state's population by breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty for as many people as possible.

We live in a strange time. I know people who believe government, if given the resources, can answer any question, solve any problem. I know others who believe just the opposite. As with most things, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

A few days ago I blogged about a donation drive we had at work. Before our meetings began, we gathered all our donations from every part of the state and stashed them in the corner of the room. I thought we had amassed a lot at our office, but as I watched car after car stop and unload bags of clothes, stacks of pillows, and cases of sunscreen, I was surprised and pleased.

Yes, we had meetings, discussed numbers, and ways to help. And the cache of items were shipped off to the YWCA. Talk about things is only that, talk. Actions are what counts. Our deeds today may change lives--it is our goal, after all. Yes, many people talked about poverty today, just like us. I hope our little drive did some good. 

I think it did.

Donation Drive At Work...

I am currently on a committee at work. It's a new committee, a sort of "soul of the company" committee. Since we're new we haven't all met as a group yet, but those who organized the group decided to do a company-wide activity for our first task.

They created a donation drive.

We were asked to contribute three types of items, children's clothes (either new or nearly new...), new pillows (no nearly new pillows allowed, which is a good thing...), and sunscreen. It makes sense--we're donating the items to the local YWCA chapter in our city and summer's just around the corner. It's a great cause and I'm glad I can play a part in it, albeit, a small one. My family--well, really, my daughter--donated several bags of clothes.

Today I walked passed an empty cubicle where our building is storing all the donations while they're being accumulated. It made me think--most likely none of us know any of the people we're helping, but we chose to do it. We live in a world where everything seems to play out on a grand stage. We're inundated with all the problems of the world--just watch any news program, local or national. It's one of the reasons we stopped watching any news programs years ago (I KNOW it's helped us to feel better about ourselves, our fellow man/woman, and the world in general...). How much does all that helping do, anyway?

I believe the way to have the greatest impact is not by making huge sweeping changes, but by simply helping someone out who needs a little assistance. Donating stuff, helping a neighbor move or clean up their yard, even saying a kind word. Plus, it's also the easiest way to help, really. Anyone can do it. We should do it more.