Originally posted on 2/20/25.
Look for the Helpers
We are living in a time of great uncertainty and terrifying events. It can be overwhelming at times. I find I hold my breath before I turn on the news each day. Will I hear of yet another natural disaster in our country…more fires, floods, tornadoes or hurricanes? Will there be another plane crash with loss of lives? Will more people lose their jobs? Will another country be invaded?
It’s difficult to keep our equilibrium and go about living our daily lives in the face of so much human suffering. What can we do? How can we help?
There’s a fairly well-known quote by Fred Rogers…yes, of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood… that goes like this:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers…so many caring people in this world.”
This is my answer and it can be yours as well. We must look for the helpers and be the helpers and keep doing good. You may not think one small thing done for another could make a difference. But it does. And, it adds up and makes our world better and stronger. I have found that when I do something for others, I often get more out of it than they do.
Last week, we took three boxes of food to a local food pantry that is run by a church in our community. We actually dropped the food off during the time that people were coming for their weekly food pickups. The line of waiting cars snaked around the perimeter of the church parking lot and there were maybe 25-30 in line when we arrived.
Volunteers were talking with people in the first three cars and loading groceries into trunks and back seats. It was cold but people were smiling and pleasant. When we took our donation inside, there were more volunteers busily packing grocery bags. They said it had been a busy morning so far. They said they appreciated our donation. Seeing the need and all the “helpers” made us want to do more. We plan to take another food donation next week.
But helping others doesn’t have to cost money. This morning, my husband, Jeff, shoveled our driveway and sidewalk yet again this winter. Then, I saw him go next door and shovel our 91-year-old neighbor’s driveway and sidewalk. She worries about getting snowed in so I know he gave her some peace of mind.
I remember when we moved from Texas to Indiana last year, we bought our house about five weeks before we actually got here. We knew the grass would be knee high and the neighbors were probably wondering what kind of slackers were going to be moving in. When we got here, we found out that two of our neighbors had mowed the grass for us. We felt so blessed knowing we had moved onto a street with such good people.
We all do what we can, however we can. If you can afford to contribute money, that is so great. If you can’t, you can always volunteer your time. If you don’t have money or extra time, there are still so many things you can do for others.
Since I cannot afford to donate to the food pantry every other week, I’ve been trying to think of other ways to help others. Here’s some ideas I had:
*I can hold the door for another person at the store, bank, restaurant, etc.
*I can check on an elderly neighbor.
*I can pray for people.
*I can donate some of my used books to a local free library.
*I can donate clothes I no longer wear to a homeless shelter.
*I can babysit for parents who need a break.
*I can say a kind word to someone who is having a bad day.
*I can compliment a service person in a store or restaurant.
*I can make a meal for someone who is home sick or who has had a baby.
*I can let someone go before me in the line at the grocery store.
*I can choose not to make snarky comments on social media.
*I can send a card or note to brighten someone’s day.
*I can mentor someone and/or teach them a new skill.
There’s a lot of ugliness in the world right now. I don’t want to be a part of that so I’m going to do my best to be a helper. Maybe some of you have more ideas for how to help? Feel free to add them in the comments.