Charity

by Pa Rock
Someone Who Shares

Tonight I heard the Salvation Army bell ringers for the first time this holiday season, and my thoughts turned to the freedom and ability that we have in this country to be charitable and openly care about the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves. Even though I disagree with some of the political views of the Salvation Army, I always drop a dollar in their kettles because they do good work among the poor and needy.

Doctors Without Borders is an organization for which I have immense respect. I began making regular monthly donations to this group of selfless, dedicated doctors as a result of their work in the Asian tsunami of 2004. These physicians go to some of the most remote regions of the world to address humanitarian and medical needs. Doctors Without Borders won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. (www.doctorswithoutborders.org)

I also donate several times a year to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. As the name indicates, this group focuses on AIDS research and the treatment of children suffering from HIV and AIDS. Ms. Glaser, a co-founder of the organization, was the wife of actor Paul Michael Glaser (of TV’s “Starsky and Hutch”). She contracted the HIV virus through a blood transfusion during the birth of her oldest child. That child, a girl, became HIV Positive through breast feeding. Her next child, a son, got the virus in utero. Mother and daughter have since died of the disease. (www.pedaids.org)

The third group that I actively support is the Ronald McDonald House Charities. This organization is known primarily for the guest houses that they set up near hospitals so that families of patients have a convenient and inexpensive place to stay. I have had several clients stay in Ronald McDonald Houses, and their reports are always glowing. Giving to Ronald McDonald House Charities couldn’t be easier – just drop your change in the box at the drive-through or at the counter. (www.rmhc.org)

There are many ways to reach out and help others, from donating money, to giving time and energy to a charitable cause. The important thing is that we all do what we can as individuals and as a society to offer a helping hand to those in need - for their benefit as well as for our own. Good works are their own reward.