Martin Luther King Jr. Day and National Day of Service

 In times like these our Nation can use more Days of Service. I don't care what your skin color, religious belief, or political affiliation. I guarantee your community, neighboring community, state, region, country, world all could use a helping hand to make it better. Here is a day dedicated to it. If you have to work today maybe it will plant a seed for you to volunteer or find a way to give back. 

I have to work today but I have volunteered over 32 hours this month so far. I am planning to do more during the year. My point is if we all did a little we could make the world better for everyone. You could enjoy those improvements. Other people of different colors, religious beliefs, political affiliations could enjoy them too. I think Martin Luther King Jr would look down from heaven and smile at the changes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

There are lots of things to be thankful for and a lot of those things we probably overlook most of the time. One thing I am glad I'm not a turkey around this time of year. According to eatturkey.com about 46 million turkeys are consumed in the United States on Thanksgiving.

I'm thankful that I am blessed with healthy children. Raising children is not easy, but I can't fathom how difficult it would be if they were not healthy. However, some parents due raise children that have health issues. To those I am thankful for your children and I am thankful somehow you find a way.

I'm thankful for my blog. I'm thankful I can write about anything I want. Of course I am thankful for my readers, my audience. It is nice to see they have visited and it is fun to read their comments.

I'm thankful for my day job. It is much better than being unemployed. I have plenty of vacation and sick leave. I have so many benefits to be thankful for.

I'm thankful I have a roof over my head. I'm thankful I have internet and smartphones. I am thankful I am not hungry or thirsty. I am thankful Hurricane Michael moved a few miles further east. While I am thankful we dodged it I know many were struck with destruction. I am thankful for the volunteers who fed, housed, cleaned up and repair. I know there is still so much to do but I am glad there are more volunteers.

I'm thankful I have been able to help the homeless in three different states. I am thankful there are people willing to help and provide food and shelter.

Yes there is so much to do, but I am thankful for what is happening. I am thankful for my blessings and I hope you have some too!

Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King Jr was a great man. Certainly  civil rights leader but he was a religious leader as well. I could write a full blog on the man however in celebrating his day I thought it would be best to focus on one quote. This is my quote for the day.

What is your answer to this question? "What are you doing for others?" In my past I would have answered this by saying a lot. This time of year I would be volunteering at a cold weather shelter or at a food distribution center.

They don't have cold weather shelters here. Sure I participate in food drives and give donations here and there. Shop at a thrift store or support something in that way.

Am I doing what I should be for others? Honestly I could do more. Maybe that is something I can work on in this young year.

Cold Rain

Monday night into Tuesday morning I spent 10.5 hours volunteering at a cold weather shelter. The weather had been a bit on the warm side for January but Ihad turned into a 40s high 30s kind of day with a cold rain. Not the day you would want to be out on the streets. Not like there is a good time to be homeless. It is a place I will be back helping out at again soon.

Lets face it times are hard. My family struggles to keep from being homeless. So, I have no problem lending my time to help others. They are  a lot like me. Perhaps I have a better support group. Sure some have problems I have my share. It is in these personal tough times the degrees of seperation dissappear.

When the weather is bitter or icky I don't want to be homeless. If I can help shelter folks from a cold rain, a hard freeze, snow and ice, or just plain giving them a break from the streets or whereever they make their homes.I'd like to see year round shelters. Summers get hot and humid. Plus the storms we went through the big stoerm at the end of June, the scorching hot temps, Sandy coming through. It rains in the fall, summer and spring. There is a need then too.

Winter is perceived harsher. The threat of folks freezing to death, hypothermia, and more illnesses going around in the winter can easily mae the argument for a cold weather shelter. Maybe things will turn around and the homeless will find homes. Until then we need to help hem,

Update and a little about SHARE

I am alive. Like my last post eluded to I am very busy writing away. I've already published more articles this month than all of last month. Then there are the other things I am involved with, family, and trying to squeeze as much skiing as I can before it is all gone.

I am enjoying writing more now since I do get to write about what I want to write about. Lately, I have written a few articles on non-profits so far most of them have been about ones that I am involved in or have been involved in which is a good thing.

My latest one on SHARE is no exception. SHARE is a great program which can save folks money on food and promotes volunteering. Both wonderful things. I find my time volunteering at SHARE to be better than church. Any way to learn more about SHARE read my article here.