By Loretta Graham
November is the month of Thanksgiving! It is a time when families and friends take a break from the hectic and stressful works and can peacefully spend time with friends and family. This is so important in this busy world when families hardly get to spend time together.
So, it is not a secret that Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but it is also a time when I to think about investing more in my community.
Investments— where will you make yours?
We at Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois are investors. We invest in each other as staff, as board members, and as supporters. We invest in our valuable, treasured volunteers without whom we wouldn’t be here. All of us together are investing in our future and our world by investing each and any way we can in Girl Scouting. We invest our time, which in today’s world, has become more valuable than ever. We invest emotionally, with our whole hearts and grow more resolute each time we see a shy, uncertain girl come out of her shell and blossom and shine through Girl Scouts – when that shy, withdrawn girl speaks up strongly and boldly for the first time with the voice she found within her as a Girl Scout.
Where will you make your investment? Whether you see it as “giving back” or “paying it forward” the investment made in your charity comes with the added bonus of knowing you’re investing in your community. All of us who believe in that charity will continue to make the investment in the future.
Whether it’s the amount of time we have to spare, whether it’s an in-kind or monetary donation – when each of us gives, we know immediately we have invested wisely. Sometimes we invest by making ourselves available and sharing ourselves, with an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, a ladder to elevate, a bridge to bring us closer across our differences.
The investments we make in Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois are absolute commitments to our mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Our investment in girls not only pays back to each of us tenfold in OUR lifetimes, but continues to pay, on and on and forward for today’s girls and tomorrow’s leaders. The ripples of the coin tossed in the fountain of hope today will still be resonating in all of those tomorrows for lifetimes to come.
Some people find it easier to open up their wallet or checkbook and give, while some people find it easier or better for them to give of their time. Your charity needs both. And when you give and receive so much in return (that you can’t put a price tag on) – know THAT’S an excellent investment! So, whether it’s by opening your checkbook or your heart, or by opening up your world to invest in that charity, make the investment today. Open your heart once and give to a legacy that makes the world a better place forever. If you are considering giving back to the community, find an organization that cares about children, families, and their communities. Your investment will have an impact for years to come.