To Do

Updated December 21, 2009

I know that I’ve been on the fundraising side of things more than once when a secret or surprise donation would have pushed us to our goals and allowed us to accomplish something we’d otherwise have missed out on. I know that there’s a lot of concern around non-profit organizations – concern that they spend too much of their money on administrative fees and sky-high salaries, concern that money given is used only to place more ads rather than helping the cause, concern that perhaps none of the money given actually goes to do any good. But there are amazing organizations out there doing simply wonderful things to make others’ lives better.

I think that sometimes we get too wrapped up in really big causes like saving the whales and feeding all the starving children in Africa. But there are so many needs in our own communities. Families who have to send their children to bed hungry because they can’t afford dinner. People walking around with cavity-riddled teeth because they can’t afford to see a dentist. People suffering with common medical ailments because they can’t afford a doctor’s appointment, or even worse, an emergency room visit or hospital stay. People who have to wear faded, torn and dirty clothing because they can’t afford to buy new clothes or even properly wash the ones they have.

We are so blessed with abundance, I think we take it for granted.