Hello Bups! Please meet THoughts! A fellow Bup who has a passion for Non- Profit. I think it is good to share the importance of giving back.

Natural disasters always cause me to think and ultimately realize how fortunate I am.  How blessed I am.  And thankful I didn’t have to experience such a painful and indelible hardship.

Five years post-Katrina has me thinking once again about the importance of giving back.  Given there are 6 billion people on this planet, we can become consumed by our busy lives and the drive to move ahead, forgetting that the human soul and humanity at its core is deeply and truly interconnected.  Watching the citizens of New Orleans and across the South beg for “help” in a country of plenty literally ripped at my spirit and soul.  I watched their struggle for hope and survival from my comfortable, and dry, living room in Wisconsin unsure how and when their struggle would end.  What could I do to help someone affected by Katrina?  Five years later, what could I be doing today?

I say all of this to encourage each and every one of us to give, to give back, to be charitable – whatever you choose to call it.  Hunger knows no season, natural disasters occur year round across the globe, kids always need school supplies, and the elderly and youth can always use our support.  Giving back doesn’t have to take the form of money (of course money is always ideal).  If you have little or no money to give I am sure you have a little extra time to mentor a child or converse with an elderly parent, grand-parent or neighbor.  I have found that in many cases it is human contact needed to inspire hope and motivation.

Most importantly, do what feels good to you.  Give back in a way that represents who you are and what you can do.  I can guarantee that whatever you give will be appreciated — No judgments here.

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”  Anais Nin

THoughts Favorites:

• Feeding America (focusing on the state/regional Food Bank)
• Washington Area Women’s Foundation
• Vital Voices
• KaBOOM!
• Last, but certainly not least the educational institutions that you have attended from grade school and beyond.