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Family & Youth Forum |
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February What's Inside
Partnerships for Hope and Service
Mission Past Issues
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Our nation faces an uncertain economic future, and SWLA is not immune to this. As a result, many people are predicting tough times ahead for organizations that rely on philanthropic giving to support the services they provide to our community. Indeed, as the economic news seems to worsen, one reaction might be to tighten our belts and cut back on or eliminate all together our charitable donations. Unfortunately, this just makes things worse for our community as a whole, as the reality is that in tough economic times the need for the very services supported by those philanthropic dollars increases. The daily dose of bad economic news sounds like Chicken Little shouting “the sky is falling.”
So what is the rationale for continuing to give? In response, I would suggest another familiar children’s story, Stone Soup. There is a famine in the land (tough economic times) and everyone hoards what they have in order to survive. Some have onions, some potatoes, some carrots, etc., but none have enough for a full meal, and as a result, all are hungry. A stranger comes to town, sets up a pot of boiling water, and drops a stone in the pot, offering to share this Stone Soup with everyone. He explains that Stone Soup is really delicious, but that it would be even better with a little onion, a dash of seasoning, etc., and one by one the villagers go home and return with the ingredients necessary to make a really fine pot of soup that is enjoyed by all!
The message here, of course, is that we (as well as everyone else) benefit when we continue to share what we have, even when times are tough. It is erroneous to think that even if we can’t give as much as we did last year, our gifts have no value. As with the tale of the Stone Soup, we all have something to give, and while it may not seem like much to the giver, when combined with other donated ingredients, it nourishes our entire community.
SWLA is a giving community, and on behalf of those in need who have benefited from your generosity in the past, we thank you. On behalf of those who now more than ever need your continued support, we invite you to join us for a bowl of Stone Soup.
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