“The first question, which the priest and the Levite asked, was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But… the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Now that the holiday season is over, many people have gone back to their “regular” routine of living their lives. Unfortunately, the homeless don’t have that luxury. When people recognize that, and proactively do something about it, generosity can become a way of life.
That lifestyle is ingrained in far too few people across the globe, but a great example is Angela Johnson and her 12-year-old son, Jordyn. Their efforts with The Dekalb County Community Gardens and Operation Christmas Child were featured on Northernstar’s online website (the student news site of Northern Illinois University).
Mother and son have been volunteering together for many years, and Angela enjoys watching her son build good character traits and skills through that experience. She recognizes the importance of developing a habit of generosity within her son at a young age so that he will keep that attitude throughout his life to help those around him.
According to Angela Johnson, “There is always a great need for volunteers. Organizations and charities often depend on volunteers to make things run smoothly, and when they don’t have enough help, they can’t service the community properly. Try to get involved with your community to make a difference. You may be able to apply your skills to helping someone else or even learn a new skill or two while making connections and having fun.”
Everyone has time, talents or treasures they can contribute to a variety of organizations in their community all year long. Take a few moments this week to research your community organizations and see how you can partner with one or two of them during 2021 to support their mission and vision.
If you would like to learn more about Angela and Jordyn Johnson, click here to read the Northernstar article.
Just as Johnson recognizes that charity work is a year-round opportunity, rather than just a “holiday spirit” experience, we, at Sheltering Grace, welcome donations for the homeless mothers and babies we serve.
Please contact us at 678-337-7858 to learn how you can help. Each mother and baby will be truly grateful for your kindness.
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Sheltering Grace Ministry, Ltd. is a 501(c)3 Ltd. non-profit ministry. We resolve the initial crisis of homelessness by providing mothers with a safe place to live during pregnancy. We also equip them with the tools they need to improve decision-making, enhance employment options, and increase family income to act responsibly as the head of their household. All of our services develop their self-reliance to progress to permanent independent living. Please join us in renewing and rebuilding the lives of these brave women – #Be1of5000.
