Holiday help for your hometown
Before I launch into this discussion of hometown giving, I just have to tell you about a race that we might win. The mister and I are competing with Jack and Kerrie Kirkpatrick, who live across the street from us, for the "Bah-humbug family of the year." We are running neck and neck to see who can be the last to put up a Christmas tree and get it decorated. They think they are winning because their tree is still on the front porch. Ours is up and has strings of lights on it, but not a single decoration. We think that they may not know this since the bushes in front of our house are so tall. We also are betting that they will just fold any day and get the job done at their house. Then we will win!
And with that I will move on to my personal opinion about holiday giving. National magazines and daily newspapers have been full of compelling stories about worthy charities that make a difference. I don't argue with any of that. I am certain there are groups to which you can contribute that will help the needy in San Diego, Chicago, or Memphis. The Wichita Eagle has daily stories about folks who need help. You may send your donations anywhere you wish, but the other side of the coin is that those magazines and newspapers don't cover the needs of towns in which we live. Your gifts can help just as much at home.
In Peabody, the Alliance of Churches helps families. In Florence, it is the Unity Fund. Contact the minister of any church in either community for more information. Both groups serve people in their communities all year long. Food boxes and presents for children are big projects at this time of the year. But families also need help paying high utility bills, medical bills, and children's school expenses. A cash gift from you can help long after the Christmas wrapping has been discarded.
Local libraries, senior centers, and schools also can benefit from your gifts. The Peabody Library is in need of a refrigerator, stove, and microwave for its meeting area so that more groups can use the facility. Senior centers in every community receive some state or federal funding, but most are responsible for the cost of building upkeep, repairs, utility bills, and insurance. Often they are housed in old buildings with leaky roofs or inadequate insulation. They need funds to protect their very existence.
Our schools need volunteers and they need private donations for the extras their budgets won't cover. Unless you have lived under a rock for the last six months, you know that this situation is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Call your school principal and find out how to adopt a class or a program. The Peabody Alumni Association has helped hundreds of local students through college. Send them a check and help perpetuate the program. (This is a good chance for those of you who received help to give something back. You should make the effort.) Peabody is lucky to have a pre-school for three- to five-year-olds, but some young parents can't afford the tuition. You can help by making donations to the scholarship fund. The youngsters we help early will be productive citizens later.
Are you passionate about the history of your community or county? Are you proud of your Main Street program, your PRIDE committee, or your historical society? Most are in desperate need of ideas, volunteers, and donations. (And most have tax exempt status, which makes your donation deductible
Your fire and police departments and your ambulance crew are available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When would you like for your ambulance crew to have the latest equipment? Before you need it or after you are no longer around? The Peabody Fire Department needs air packs for firefighters entering burning houses. The police department has an account at the bank for donations to the D.A.R.E. program to educate our youngsters about the danger of drugs.
So before you write that check to a national organization, you might look at your community's needs. I'm not saying that hurricane victims in Honduras aren't worthy of your help. I am just saying that your neighbor's preschooler, your volunteer fire department, or your local senior center would be just as worthy of your gift. And you will be right there to see the results.
Look close to home for your holiday giving.
— SUSAN MARSHALL
