Be Charitable

It seems as though our world is always in trouble. Poverty, war, natural disasters, you name it. For those of us strongly affected by these things, we want to do something to help. We want to reach out to those in need whether it's volunteering our time, money, etc.

Charity. That is what we call our actions or donations of helping others. There are charities out there for everything. Animals, illnesses, education, veterans. It's a never-ending list. And once you donate to one charity, it seems they all expect something from you.

Recently at work we have started selling dollar-donation cards. You pay a dollar and write your name on a card with a picture of a cute kitten or puppy. Your donation then goes to Maumee Valley Save-A-Pet. You can spend the rest of the day feeling good because you "saved a life." I was surprised at how many people were willing to donate a dollar, but at the same time wasn't surprised or offended if someone rejected the opportunity.

The other day a boy of 8 or 10 came through my line. I didn't ask him if he wanted to donate a dollar simply because he was so young. I figured, kids want to save their money to buy things like video games, toys, and movies. I watched as the boy pulled all of the change out of his pocket and put it in a donation box on my register. This box is always there and goes to Nature's Nursey, an organization interested in helping preserve wildlife. He paid for his purchase and also put his change in the box. While it may not have been a lot, it still touched my heart to see this act of generosity from someone so young. It made me think... I was then disappointed in all those people who refused to donate. While I understand that there are those who simply cannot afford to donate a dollar, I would have to assume that those who can afford to buy $40 and $50 bags of dog food can spare an extra dollar to help feed and care for those animals who are incapable/in need of a loving home. This boy who has no income except for maybe a weekly or monthly allowance just gave what little he had and yet those adults who have steady incomes rudely mumble "NO" or make an excuse as to why they don't want to donate.

There's a lot of problems in the world. And there's a lot of organizations to attempt to help/solve these problems, but we're in trouble if we're going to be relying on children to step up and empty their piggy banks.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world but no one thinks of changing himself." -Leo Tolstoy

We as adults find others to point our fingers at and blame for the problems. "Those republicans," or "those blacks," or "those Jews." It's never our fault nor is it our responsibility to try to help. These accusations and stereotypes then only create more problems and more organizations.

We can't change the world, we can merely change our attitudes and behaviors about the way we perceive it. By living in a manner that shows your beliefs, values, passions, you can then encourage and motivate others. But until you are living in a way that shows you are trying to be the best you can be, why should anyone want to follow?

Like I said, I realize we can't donate to every organization because there are probably millions if not billions out there. But if you get the opportunity to donate a dollar or volunteer for a cause you believe in, why not do it? It may not seem like a like of money, or you might not be able to put a lot of hours into it, but think about it... if 50 people at each Pet Supplies Plus store donated a dollar every day we'd be making $200 per day. This donation is running throughout the month of August, or for 31 days. 31 days multiplied by $200 is $6,200 dollars. If each of us do our own small part, we can maker a bigger and better contribution. By playing our role, we come together as a whole, to make this world a better place...