Although you can’t get much farther from the Christmas season and the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign than we currently are in the year, I wanted to pause and share some information about where some of your holiday generosity has been directed.
As I have shared in the past, I have the privilege of being the Kewaunee County Voucher Writer for the Salvation Army and in doing so, I have the unique opportunity to interact with those who are in need throughout our community on a regular basis, and I am always humbled by their willingness to share what they are going through.
As you may recall, all of the funds for this assistance are derived from the donations that you, the community, provide through the Kettle Campaign, which runs from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. These Kettles are placed at businesses throughout Kewaunee County, and subsequent requests for assistance are also received from our neighbors throughout Kewaunee County.
Recently, we provided a voucher to a young mother trying to make ends meet due an unforeseen disruption in her life. In another situation, we were able to help out a young family where the mother was recently diagnosed with cancer, and the father is working multiple jobs to make ends meet.
I use the word “we” as it is not just myself who provides this generosity. I am merely the conduit through which our community’s charity and giving flow. For this, I am grateful, for I get to witness firsthand the gratitude and appreciation in those moments.
Unfortunately, there is very seldom a week that goes by that I do not receive a request for help in some way. Fortunately, most of these needs can be met. While I am able to provide assistance through the Salvation Army on most of these occasions, there are also other charitable organizations that assist our community in resources as well. I am very grateful for the local food pantries, as well as the Lakeshore Community Pantry Thrift shop. There have also been so many situations in which local businesses have stepped forward to assist a family or individual with help in the area of their expertise.
In a world that tends to fixate on the negative, we can never let ourselves be distracted from the fact that they are vastly outnumbered by the positive events and supportive people that are around us every day. Even in those negative people or events, it doesn’t take a great deal of effort to peal away the layers to find the good.
Many times, we feel helpless as we watch events unfold around the world and even in our own communities. While we can not change so much of what we see, we can make sure that it does not change us. Please know that each and every time we are able to assist someone in our community, we are sending a message that we will always be here for each other without judgement and without hesitation. That in itself is the definition of community.
