Serving In Any Season

Serving In Any Season

“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy.
I woke and I saw that life is all service.
I served and I saw that service is joy.”

― Kahlil Gibran

The sound of the ringing bell serves as an instant reminder of the season. It is the familiar sound of the Salvation Army bell ringer.  Keeping a dollar on hand during this time of the year guarantees that you will never have to pass the kettle without being able to leave a small gift.  Many of us give our money, in hopes of bringing joy to another’s life. Sometimes, the drop in the bucket is all we can offer, but many times, as Gibran suggests, it is in serving that we find joy for ourselves.

My friend John has been ringing the bell at the Salvation Army kettle since 1986. It is his joy to ring the bell.” I continue doing the most good because Sharing is Caring and need has no season,” he says.  Everyone I’ve ever known who has volunteered someplace has been glad they did. The Salvation Army is one of many places doing good things.

Organizations doing good things usually began because someone saw a need that wasn’t being met.  There are costs involved in running any organization, even if everyone involved in an organization donates their time. Money is required to pay for utilities, rent, and items needed to run an office.  “The most efficient organizations spend at least 75% of their budgets on programs and services (this is referred to as the “spending ratio”), with the remainder going toward administration and fund-raising costs,” says Debra Snider of Guide Star.

In reality, the expenses of an organization depend upon the type of work they do. The administrative costs should aim to be under 15% of their total expenses, leaving 10% or less to go to fundraising. When I donate to a group, I want to know that good things are happening with my donation, and I understand that paying employees is going to be a part of those good things.

Organizations doing good things should be transparent about their expenses. If you believe they are really doing good things but don’t understand where their money is being used, ask them.  If you aren’t comfortable with the way a group uses the money donated, don’t donate to them, but know they might still be a great organization.

Asking friends for charities they enjoy supporting, I’ve learned about groups I had never heard of — like Kiva.org where my donation is actually a loan to another person. In 80 countries and 5 continents, Kiva matches individuals needing loans with people willing to donate.  Of the great stories I heard, Nathan’s was my favorite: “The ones I feel did the most good were a nurse in Pakistan where healthcare for reproductive issues is almost nonexistent and a roof in Ecuador that helped keep a young father’s daughter in school.”

(Links available. Descriptions and more organizations can be found at https://suezquesteen.com/where-to-donate-where-to-serve/ )

She’s The First
Girls on the Run
Chive Charities
Doors of Hope (local)
The Journey Home (local)
Cold Patrol (local)
Greenhouse Ministries (local)
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Alzheimer’s Association
Donors Choose
Southern Poverty Law Center
Boston Children’s Hospital
To Write Love on Her Arms
Guiding Eyes for the Blind
Park Center

The list continues on my website because there are so many organizations named by my friends, and I want to honor them all.  Look around you.  What has impacted you that might not be meaningful to me? Please share in your feedback. Caring for the safety of people, animals and our environment, aiding people with medical needs, providing resources for those people hurting or suicidal, supporting the research that will find cures for diseases — all of these are important things and deserve our attention. Through your money or service find organizations to learn about and support. Looking for joy? Service is joy.

Thoughts to Encourage

Joy is the will which labors, which overcomes obstacles, which knows triumph.~ William Butler Yeats

Whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right. - Henry Ford

The best way out is always through. ~ Robert Frost

Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. ~ Theodore N. Vail

Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall. ~ Oliver Goldsmith

You must be the change you want to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi

Nothing helps like a good nap…

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A Dog is Faithful…