Charity Begins at Home

Someone once told me that when they gave a gift from the heart for no other reason than to help, it returned more to them than I could understand. 

Oddly enough, I do understand. I spent a good part of my life giving in the ways that I was able. Maybe I didn't always donate money to the "big" charities but that isn't really always what matters. I'm not saying those are not important because they are. They hold a value in the world and there are fortunately people who are able to support such things.

For me charity was always about the community I lived within. It was about offering a meal to someone who had nothing to eat that day. It was about offering a roof for someone who might otherwise not have had one. 

More recently I have been seeking small local charities to give my time and, when possible, my money to. Currently in the United States we have thousands of homeless and millions who are living below the poverty level and often struggle to feed their families. In my heart and soul I know there is something wrong with this.

I feel that the communities these people live in should be reaching out to ease their pain. In many places I have found smaller charitable organizations that do just that. Some offer shelter, some food, and others still offer different possibilites for transporation. There are smaller charities all over the USA that are helping with healthcare and the simple act of living a daily life.

For me, this is where charity should begin. If each of us within the communities we live in only gave a litte of our time, income, or maybe extra stuff we have, we could make everywhere an easier place to live. We could see the glow in another human beings eyes that only comes because they know someone actually cares about them.

I did a fundraiser a few months ago and was saddened at the result of it. I needed to just save this one person's home and the cost was great but not unattainable. If every single friend I have on facebook right now would have just given $20 we could have achieved our goal. It made me realize that if every person in this country gave just $20 each week or even each month to one of the small local charities, what an amazing difference we could make.

Sadly many people are still of the belief that it does not affect them and they shouldn't get involved. Or they believe they cannot afford to help, when they really have so much more than those who are truly suffering and struggling. Sometimes it is easier to simply close ones eyes and pretend the truth is not real, rather than face the pain in another's life. It is easier to believe that someone else will do it, rather than to believe that it is our responsibility as human beings to care for one another.

If nothing else, just for moment stop and think. Do you eat every day? Do you have a computer? Do you have a roof? Do you have more than enough stuff around your house? I know that before my world drastically changed I did. We often get attached to things we do not need while others go without the very necessities of life.