Good Things Happen in the Rain. I've been on the receiving end of giving for many of my childhood years. Having been raised by a disabled single mother with Multiple Sclerosis, it didn't leave us with many options, except that of welfare and church donations. I'll never forget waiting in long lines for government hand-outs of cheese and butter. It left a distinct impression in my mind, and one that I didn't like much.
It wasn't easy being the welfare kid on the block. I hated hand-outs and how they made me feel about myself. Because of that, I was determined to work hard and make enough money so I would never have to rely on public assistance again. Having been there and done that, I knew a little something about charity and how important it is to help those less fortunate.
I've had the wonderful experience in giving to many charitable causes throughout my adult life. Since there are so many worthwhile organizations vying for donations, I established a personal criteria for which charities I would donate to. Any organization that supplied basic human needs (i.e. food, water, clothing, shelter) had the highest priority in my mind. Mostly because it was these items that supplied my greatest need as a child. Once the basic human needs are met, then I look for other opportunities to support children and their emotional well being.
I've always been a huge advocate of sending kids to camp, paying for sports teams equipment and uniforms and also donating funds for the advancement of music and art in schools. I believe these programs are extremely helpful to the psychological development of a child. I have a heart for children and especially those with less fortunate circumstances. Which leads me to a follow-up to one of my previous posts... This Biz is for the Bears.
Two weeks ago, my grand-daughter turned 3 years old. In lieu of birthday gifts, we asked each guest to consider donating to a charity for needy children called, My Stuff Bags. Here's a pic of my sweet grand-daughter Ellie delivering bags full of blankets and stuffed animals collected from her birthday party. While she may not fully understand the value of giving gifts to needy children, she will at least know that she participated in something good. It was a rainy day in LA that day... but it provided a great photo op of my Ellie holding her little umbrella. And it just goes to show ya... Good things happen in the rain!
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