A Privilege

"No one has ever become poor by giving." -Anne Frank

I've been seeing them for a few weeks now, the Salvation Army volunteers. Unfailingly polite, they stand outside in fair weather and foul, ringing their handbells, hoping to fill the red kettles that hold shoppers' cash contributions.

My mother, a World War II veteran who served in England and France, said that the Salvation Army was the organization quickest to provide services, supplies, and comfort to soldiers far from home. In fact, the Salvation Army was one of six civilian agencies that collaborated in the creation of the USO (United Service Organizations) in 1941.

Our family always donated serviceable clothing and unwanted furniture to the Salvation Army. My daughter and I browsed their Thrift Shops in search of discarded treasures and vintage accessories.

This holiday season is going to be a difficult one for many families. The Salvation Army, along with other local and national organizations, is trying to help people survive in troubled times.

Please share what you can with the non-profit group of your choice, in the true spirit of the holiday season.

Smile at the bell-ringer, and thank him or her for working in the service of others.

"Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege." -John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

“Frank, a Salvation Army bell-ringer” by ragesoss