Clara's #GivingTuesday


After Black Friday and Cyber Monday comes #GivingTuesday. It’s day that shines a light on our community’s non-profits and the amazing work they do for pennies on the dollar. 

The #GivingTuesday campaign seeks donations at the beginning of the holiday gift-buying season. The colder months bring greater needs for food, clothing, and shelter for those in desperate need. 

But it’s not just about giving money.

Clara sat behind the old wooden desk in the women’s shelter. She’d taken the bus and walked five blocks to do her six hour volunteer shift. 







At 71, she had time, but not extra money to offer a cause that is close to her heart. Long ago she’d  been like the women who occupied the cots in the adjacent room. Without money and hope, she’d done almost anything to pull herself out of poverty for her kid’s sake. 

Knowing those desperate feelings, Clara was able to look into the eyes of these women and offer true support. There was no place she’d rather offer her help—because it came from a place that knew what these women needed. Clara gave love, and there’s no price tag on that.

So, on #GivingTuesday, giving money is good. But giving time can be a difference-maker to those who need it most.

Popular posts from this blog

Counting the Cost

Image
Something big is missing in this photo. Let me explain. Here in my hometown, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe prepared a parcel of land for a new hotel. Plenty of planning and architectural designs were evaluated. A gemstone of a hotel would be built across from the waterfront—a beautiful, restful place welcoming travelers. A true four-star facility.   They cleared the aging brick structures that had been fading away between Front Street and Railroad Avenue. Then the pandemic hit, shortages of labor and supplies, add in the costly inflation that followed. Everything stopped.   But this is what I admire about the Elwha Tribe: they have counted the cost. They didn’t want to move forward and take on tremendous debt. They would rather move slowly and be financially ready, rather than begin building and then letting it sit unfinished.   Counting the cost is something I should have done earlier in life when I didn’t know what high interest rates would do to our farming cost...
Read more

Summertime Music

Image
During the summer months, in an outside seating area, a delightfully painted piano sits with a sign that says, “Play me”.   It was just before 8 pm as I walked past the piano. My bus would be arriving soon, and I still have another ten minutes to walk before reaching my bus stop. But no one is around. It’s a beautiful warm evening. I pulled out the piano bench and sat down. The sun was behind me, and the piano keys reflected its glow. I had no music in front of me, only the songs within me. Notes drifted into the air.  In those brief moments, the magic of music and summer came together. Isn’t that how it is? Summertime music has a way of lingering in our minds and lasting a lifetime. As I stood and grabbed my things, I heard distant clapping—I guess I wasn’t alone, after all.
Read more

Planting Good Seeds

Image
Harvest will always depend on what we plant and how well we care for our crop.    Looking over my seed packets, I notice they’re different than the ones I planted before. One package is called Word seeds. The directions say that each of my words is a seed, so it cautions me to think before I speak. Harsh words don’t produce sweet, nourishing fruit. These seeds will require thoughtful care in the garden. I see some Volunteer seeds. Those extra hours I tend to fritter away are going to be planted in a useful project.   It looks like time isn’t wasted in this garden plot. Next are some Love seeds—the directions are interesting: get up each day and love others. No specifics are given—just do something for someone every day. The seed package shows pictures of smiling faces. I smile back. As I’m ready to head to the garden with my seeds, a package falls to the ground. I open it. Inside are the tiniest seeds I’ve ever seen—but the directions s...
Read more