The spirit of giving is alive and well, reinforcing the good will of service and charity for our fellow man that long have been traditions in our community.
Whether this takes the form of donations shoppers make to the red kettles that fund Salvation Army, helping to feed those in need or some other generous act, the holiday season tends to bring out the best in us.
Take those who took time to put others before their own celebrations during the Thanksgiving holiday.
As The Republic’s Brian Blair reported, “Area volunteers, boosted by donations of time, energy and money from individuals, businesses and nonprofits, delivered 2,731 homemade Thanksgiving meals over three different days recently in Columbus.”
Among those delivering this bounty to local residents and families who otherwise might not have had a holiday meal were Columbus Baptist Church, which delivered 975 servings of turkey and trimmings as part of its Feed the Flock outreach.
First Christian Church’s 100 volunteers likewise prepared and delivered 757 meals on Thanksgiving Day. Those were made possible partially by the support of Taylor Brothers Construction/The Harmon Group’s The Joy of Giving program, which also supported the approximately 400 Thanksgiving meals delivered Nov. 18 by the America and Roby Anderson Community Center.
Also, Sandy Hook United Methodist Church’s nearly 200 volunteers delivered 599 meals in the church kitchen the day before Thanksgiving.
Each of these holiday meals represents an outreach addressing the most basic human need: nourishment. More than that, though, this giving crucially reaches out to many people who also may not have much human contact.
“Many organizers and volunteers have stressed the idea that visiting with those they were delivering meals to has been just as important as the meals themselves,” Blair wrote. That’s particularly so in light of US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issuing an advisory declaring loneliness a new public health epidemic.
With Thanksgiving over, the giving is just beginning. For instance, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s office recently delivered nearly 4,000 pounds of food to be divided between Love Chapel and The Salvation Army at the conclusion of its Pack a Patrol Car effort this month.
All of these donations came from people in the community, local schools, county government employees and others who gave nonperishable items to help feed the hungry this holiday season.
There are numerous other seasonal efforts also making a big difference for local people. The Firemen’s Cheer Fund and Toys for Tots, for instance, are continuing their traditions of ensuring local children of limited means will receive presents during the holidays.
All of these efforts are possible only through many kind donations of time and treasure. This generosity is a gift not just to those who receive, but also to those we salute: The many people and organizations in our community who appreciate that being a cheerful giver is, in itself, a precious gift.
