You’ll begin to see the red buckets in front of stores this week, with volunteers standing out in the cold, ringing bells in hopes of getting our attention. When I think about what it must be like to not have enough food on the table and winter clothes to keep warm, I feel it’s our responsibility to assist where we can.
If we can improve the lives of the vulnerable even just a little, to help individuals and families through giving, participation and volunteering, we can help to restore some dignity and make everyone’s life better.
During this holiday season there are many reminders to donate, however at Exhibit Systems we participate in programs all year long. We will sometimes divide up into teams for some friendly competition, including our food drives, peanut butter drive and clothing donations. We also sponsor the Blood Center’s mobile unit every year for a blood drive and we will adopt a family for the Christmas season. And it not only benefits the community but it also is a great way to engage our employees in outside-the-office activities.
As stated in the Catholic Charities’ Core Values “People have a fundamental right to life, food, shelter, healthcare, education and employment; they also have the responsibilities to respect the rights of others and work for the common good.” I couldn’t have said it better.
We will continue to donate to the charity or mission we feel most strongly about, be it food drives, blood donation or serving Thanksgiving meals. And we’ll feel better in knowing that we’ve done our part, even if it is only a small gesture. Remember the saying, “How do you climb the mountain?… One step at a time.” Even if that means just dropping our spare change into a red bucket.
