Getting the Word Out

by Karen Karpinski, Director of Education

December is such a busy time for all of us - shopping, decorating, baking, gift wrapping, parties. We hear “Merry Christmas” and the sound of jingle bells everywhere we turn. It’s a time of gaiety and happy memory making…except for the men, women and children who are victims of human trafficking and others on the fringes of society.

You, our volunteers, are extremely generous with your gifts for those who normally do not receive gifts or feel the joy of the season, and I sincerely commend and appreciate you for that. But let’s not forget the gift of our time for those less fortunate than we during this season of giving. Maybe you can find a way to give of yourself whether with our survivors or with the homeless on the street, with the lonely, forgotten resident at a nursing home, with the mentally ill no one wants to be around, the dying in a hospice, an inmate in a local prison.

Volunteering is not one time opportunity, but an action that can bring a smile, a simple “thank you,” a tear of gratefulness all year round. As we celebrate this season, let’s remember the reason for our joy and give as HE gave to us.

May you each enjoy the blessings of this Christmas season!