Dear North Forty News Reader,
Throughout the year it’s important to find ways to support our community through contributions of time and money to organizations that are making a difference and especially directly through acts of kindness to individuals whom we know need them. I am proud to share that this past year we, at North Forty News, have done our part by contributing to worthy causes, writing about the work of effective nonprofits, businesses that are making a difference, and supporting artistic talent.
But during the holidays with its promise of festive abundance it’s more important than ever to consider our neighbors whose needs may become even more acutely painful through contrast to the festivities all around them — real or imagined.
And with our international student population, we might consider how we can include people from cultures with traditions very different than our own who may be far away from home.
Many of us are so accustomed to plenty it’s become so habitual that it no longer feels satisfying but just the way it’s always been.
For this holiday season, I encourage you to do something new and meaningful for both you and your family. If you have young children, make them a part of giving to charities such as the Larimer County Food Bank, Hide in Plain Sight (in service to homeless students), Project Self-Sufficiency (helping single parents get an education that ends the cycle of poverty), or the charity of your choice.
Perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best (paraphrased):
“Those who give not for ostentation — put the Universe under obligation to them.”
Regards,
