At the age of twelve, our son Yogi has developed the social consciousness of an adult. This past October, he was inducted into the National Junior Beta Club. The club’s motto is “Let Us Lead By Serving Others”, and in introducing the new members to the goal of the organization, they were encouraged to do community service for any number of worthwhile causes. The first thing I thought of after learning this was to call my cousin who is a member of our local Rotary Club. Their purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. I knew he was a very active member so I wanted to ask him if there was anything that Yogi could participate in to help him live up to the Beta Club’s motto.
And..Bravo! He had the perfect first opportunity for Yogi to get his feet wet in the world of being of service to those in need by being a bell ringer for the Salvation Army.
Yogi, rock and rollin’!
For years, the club has sent volunteers to many locations in the city to ring the bell so my cousin gladly gave us a date and time and place to show up, and so we did.
Yogi actually had a blast. There were times he was so much into it that he was almost dancing, in rhythm to his bell. And he was an absolute success. During his shift it was determined that more money was collected than any other shift of the day.
Before we left, I asked one of the Rotarians if there is any other event Yogi could join in and he was more than happy to give me a heads-up on their next project, working for a local food bank.
There’s Yogi on the left with his back to the camera.
I was amazed the day we showed up for that one. There were over 300 volunteers at a local YMCA lined up at tables putting food packages together for MANNA Food Bank. I thought that Yogi might possibly be doing something that might help someone in his home country of the Philippines only to be informed that this effort was strictly local. Yes, they do international work, but it’s accomplished by sending plants and seeds to countries around the world along with volunteers to teach people how to grow their own food and become self sufficient.
This was our first visit to a food bank event. We did two more sessions and not only did Yogi work but Lynndee and I both joined in and did our part. It was the best we could do after I learned more about the MANNA Food Bank and their operation.
As I already mentioned, this work was to aid local needs. We were informed that here in Western North Carolina, one out of four kids are considered to be in a food insufficient situation. 25%! That goes hand-in-hand with what I heard over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. There were constant ads over the Radio and on TV making pleas for contributions for the homeless and hungry. Even at my place of employment, there are constant posting on the bulletin board trying to raise money for schools or food banks. That do make me wonder. These facts give rise to a sobering thought considering we live in the most prosperous country in the world. That raises questions and I certainly intend to start asking the powers that be just what they they intend to do about this situation, as we all should. And at that, we should all open our eyes and look around and be aware of what’s going on locally and do what we can to help those in need because one never knows: we might be the next one in line when hard times come calling.
Thank you so much for this post and for your donations. Hunger is a terrible thing, and you’re so right. Life is unpredictable, and there’s no guarantee that we won’t need that help one day.
You’re welcome, Stacie. And it’s so true, there but for the grace of God might be me in need.
I always pull out the change & couple of dollars I have on me when I see anyone who’s doing this. I can’t just sit by if I have a few dollars i’m going to spend on something I probably really don’t need to help someone who does need it.
Bless you, Leslie. That’s as it should be, thinking about others rather than the me-me-me mentality of so many in our society.
We once passed a homeless man as we were driving through an intersection and my young grandson asked why he was standing there. When I explained that he was homeless he burst out crying. I felt so guilty passing him by that I went back to give him some money. It’s so important to help those less fortunate.
An amazing story, Alli. We need to pay more attention to our kids: they have no cynicism and can teach us much.
It’s good to know so many people showed up at the YMCA to volunteer. The food packages will certainly be appreciated by everyone who receives them.
How amazing! What a lovely young man you are raising too! I always make sure to donate when I can if I’m out and see the donation bins it’s very important! Hunger is such a huge issue!
Thanks, Jeanine. He is a real cool kid.
It is so great to see people helping out those in need in their own area! How often we forget that there are hungry people in our areas.
Bless your wonderful son and the work he is doing. This caring heart will carry him into adulthood!
Thanks, Shelly. He is a wonderful blessing to us.
when I was in high school I use to play trumpet at Christmas time with people ringing the bell. So I always make sure to have change ever since to give to any cause when asked 😉
Your son is did a great deeds!, that is very helpful for those people, this is a great cause.
I love giving to food banks, it’s great to know that you are helping feed someone who really needs it!
Unfortunately, so many people are dealing with issues related to food insecurity. Be proud that you guys have done a good deed 🙂
No pride involved. We just care for those less fortunate than us and are trying to teach our son to be aware of how fortunate he is.
That’s wonderful that he is very interested in serving and helping other people who are in need. Keep it up young man.
Keep nurturing his compassion for others. YOu are raising a kind-hearted man, way to go guys!
Thanks, Rose. We’re trying our best to teach him the right things to do.
Wow, your son sounds like such an amazing young man! I know of so many kids that would think of spending their time donating or helping out as ‘punishment’. It’s such a shame, but reading a post like this gives me hope for the next generation.
Suprisingly, Yogi had a blast doing this work. Yes, there is hope for the future.
Wish there were more people like you. Good on you for teaching your child the right way! Every person can make a difference no matter how big or small it is.
Thanks, Shaney. But there are many giving people out there; we saw hundreds of them while we were doing the work. There is hope in this world.
MANNA sounds like it is really trying to help in your community! As is your son! It’s good to see he is so socially conscious!
Yes, MANNA is an outstanding organization and as a family we will continue to help and support it all we can.
It’s incredibly heartbreaking to know that so many are struggling with food security. I hope that someday that hunger and poverty will be a thing of the past.
We donate to our local food bank a few times a month. It is a great way to help others. My daughter has done some volunteering there as well.
I am glad to hear that your son is socially conscious. I am also glad to hear that you and your daughter also got in there and helped at the Y. So many in our country are going hungry. I always give when I am at the supermarket and they are collecting–of course I have yet to pass by one of those Salvation Army buckets either and if a smaller charity is having a drive for groceries–I pick up extra and hand it to them as I am leaving the store. There are so many small things that can be done.
Yes, we are happy that he is learning at such a young age. But a bit of a misunderstanding, there: Lynndee is my wife, Yogi’s mother, not my daughter.
That is so awesome that your son did that. When I was younger too I rang the bells for Salvation Army during the holidays.
It’s imperative that we teach our children such responsibilities at an early age. That creates a legacy that they can pass on to their kids and future generations.
I love to hear about organizations and people that make a difference in their own communities. I can’t imagine having to worry about where my next meal was coming from.
FIghting hunger is such a tough fight, its made easier by people like you who make donations to help other families. This is so great every little bit counts.
Yes, it’s not an easy battle but we should all do what we can to help those not as fortunate as us.
I love it and Yogi rocks! We volunteer a lot for Catholic charities, so our kids are growing up knowing the importance of sharing and giving back!
Yogi truly is a rocker! Being from the Philippines, he is Catholic and we’re trying to pass along the importance of sharing and caring.
People helping people is a great thing, I love that it is becoming such a common thing.
It is so hard to believe that 1 out of 4 kids suffers from hunger. That hurts my heart. Looks like your son is going to be a leader. You are doing a great job with him!!
Yes, that is hard to imagine. But that is what is going on right in my own backyard. Kids go to school and get a lunch everyday, but it’s on the weekends that they sometimes go without proper nutrition. But we are very proud of our son. And in the near future when I retire, we hope to return to his home country, the Philippines, and there, the food issue is an even larger problem and hopefully he can continue this work.