Making A difference
by Roberta B. Turner

This past month I was very concerned about several things that made me so nervous that I decided to bargain with God.  My end of the deal was to perform one act of kindness every day for one week.   And the act of kindness had to require a commitment from me to actually perform the act.

I found the seven things I did to be very rewarding.   And I want you to know that God lived up to his end of the bargain.  My fears were addressed and resolved.

So, I have now made the commitment to continue the practice once a month in the new year.  It is wonderful to make a difference and, in the end, feel good about yourself.   I won’t bargain with God again, I will just honor Him with my continued practice of acts of kindness and I would like to encourage others to consider joining me.

Some of the acts of kindness included helping feed the less fortunate during the holidays, donating to someone who lost their home and family to a fire, donating PPE supplies, and making donations to St. Jude’s Hospital for Children, Florida Humane Society a no-kill facility, and our church.  I also participated in Feed The Children’s Program. Another commitment was to reconnect with friends with considerate acts of kindness at different levels.

In my case, the old adage “What comes around goes around” certainly applied and I am grateful for the experience. 

So with this issue we are introducing a new editorial feature that will be titled “Acts of Kindness,” and we would like to feature our various readers in our communities who go out of their way to make a difference.  We would also like to promote acts of kindness that our readers should consider.

Together let’s make the world a better place.

Here are some ideas you might want to consider:

  • To determine if the non-profit is using the money to help the cause versus high administrative or marketing costs visit Charity Navigator for details.
  • Volunteer to help projects that assist our forgotten veterans such as the Wounded Warrior Project.
  • Collect school supplies for teachers who otherwise purchase them from their own funds.
  • Especially during the pandemic give to or volunteer to help the many charities that are providing food to those less fortunate.
  • Support charities that benefit the families of fallen first responders.
  • Volunteer and support the no-kill animal humane centers that care for unwanted pets.
  • Give a homeless person a gift card to a fast-food establishment instead of money.
  • Donate to sites like Neighbors For Neighbors when you learn of someone’s or a family’s needs.

To determine if the non-profit is using the money to help the cause versus high administrative or marketing costs, visit Charity Navigator for details.