Today I attended a fundraising lunch for Human Solutions - one of the local non-profits working with people who are homeless. Their focus, from what I learned today, seems to be on families - which made up 58% of the homeless population as counted on January 27th, 2010 here in Multnomah County. It looks like a great organization, with wonderful resources, which includes a program for people on the brink of becoming homeless - prevention.
My reason for posting about it here, though, is not necessarily to try to convince everyone to go out and donate to Human Solutions (though wouldn't that be awesome? If everyone who read this donated $25 or $10 or $50?) - and it's not even to spout my strong belief that each one of us who can should find an organization to donate to (though this is something I also believe - find the community service/non-profit agency that fits who you are and works for what you believe in and donate whatever you can, be it money or goods or time).
No, my reason for writing here today is to share a quote. It applies to any social service agency or non-profit or - probably a list of other things set up to help people.
When I can I will find the name of the person who said this - but for now I just remember it was the E.D. (Executive Director) of Human Solutions who said:
The big government grants are the $25,000 car. That's great! But without the smaller $2.99 donations from the community - the "gas" - the car can't run.
Be the "gas" - find an organization that could use time/money/things - and do it.
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