Last week I filled out a postcard in the Rankin Center at a table for the Military Support Group. The postcards were to be sent to the military men and women serving overseas.
Though the two military support group students, table of letters and students who signed the letters were small in number, I knew the significance of the gesture would be deeply appreciated. However, the most significant aspect of the organization’s efforts was the idea that such a large act of appreciation could be carried out in such a simple gesture.
Quite often, we fail to acknowledge the influence our small gestures of giving make in the lives of the people we help. It isn’t until we find ourselves in need of charity that we see the value in an act of kindness.
Our donations go as acts of faith that our charity is possibly helping someone in need whom we may never get the chance to meet.
Even though we may never get the opportunity to hear a “thank you” for the donation jars we give to, they are well recognized in the opportunities we see given to people everyday.
Ferris State University’s annual blood drives for the American Red Cross and Gift of Life organ donation registrations have been a tradition and presence on the university’s campus for many years.
The money we give to the students camping out in the quad or the canned goods we donate in the residence halls on our way to class are some of the most supportive donations organizations such as the WISE Shelter and Project Starburst receive from FSU students.
It’s more than just unused change in a jar or a chance to clean our closets of clothes we no longer wear; it’s an opportunity to make a significant change in someone’s life by giving him the hope that his circumstances can improve in the future.
So regardless of whether it’s a campus-wide donation effort with multiple organizations or a single-student clothing drive, be aware that every effort makes a difference.