Doing Some Good

I don't know if it's the national sense of caring and concern spurred by the recent shooting tragedy or just good old-fashioned Christmas spirit, but my Red Kettle bell ringing stint went quite well tonight.

It felt different this time than when I rang earlier in the month.Sure, I still tried to use my cute Rudolph hat to charm donations, but this time I was also more aware of the significance of what my little two-hour shift means.

I just finished reading the Danielle Steel book "Gift of Hope," a nonfiction work detailing her 11-year outreach to the homeless in San Francisco. It is pretty moving -- mainly because I know this is happening anywhere and everywhere. It got me thinking about what programs/services are actually out there for people in need.

The Salvation Army is definitely one of them.

According to their website, in this new century, The Salvation Army is serving more people in the USA than ever before. "We are already seeing large increases in the number of Americans seeking the basic necessities of life -- food, shelter and warmth. Approximately 30 million people received help from The Salvation Army in 2011, but the magnitude of the mission facing The Salvation Army in communities throughout the United States remains great."

This makes me really grateful I signed up for 3 shifts this year. The Red Kettle is in dire need of volunteers to ring the bell. I see empty "stations" everywhere in town, including high-traffic stores like Wal-Mart. What a shame.

It is not hard to do. Sure, it gets chilly and if you have a bad back like me, it can be difficult to stand the whole time. But you can sit down and still keep that bell ringing. In the scheme of things, how hard is that, really? Is it harder than living without food, shelter or warmth in the winter? Is it  harder than facing your first Christmas without the grade-schooler in your life?

I didn't think so.

Give it a chance. You will feel blessed that you can play some small part in Doing the Most Good. I know I do!