March 28, 2024 3:53 AM
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Giving Back – Buz Blog

Photo: The VFW in Prescott Valley

Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give. – Ben Carson

There are literally hundreds of organizations to which individuals can donate their time, money and labor. There are food banks, charity thrift shops, suicide hot lines, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels, People Who Care, organizations that provide seeing eye and service dogs. There are clubs that provide funding, charity and service to their communities and also offer their members a chance to socialize with each other. Lions Clubs, Elk Lodges, Moose Lodges, Eagle Lodges, Masonic Lodges, Knights of Columbus, Rotary and many other groups that do so much good in their communities.

Our veterans are able to find counseling and fellowship in the VFW and the American Legion. Other groups give shelter and training to the homeless, shelter, counseling and protection to battered spouses and children. The vast majority of these groups do these things without government money. Many local churches have their own food and clothing banks.

The point is that helping others is a great way to spend time rather than sitting in front of the TV. It also gives one the feeling of accomplishment and a sense of purpose. But there are problems with the current American culture. As older members of these philanthropic groups pass on, fewer of our people are joining these volunteer societies. There are probably several reasons.

Younger men and women raising families would find it difficult to discover any down time after working, taking care of the kids, going to practices, helping with homework and hundreds of other things that are required of parents. However, “empty nesters” could at least fill some of the free time they have recently acquired by giving back to our communities.

Part of the problem may be that many in the younger generations have been indoctrinated or have come to believe that all of the things that our charitable and service organizations do, are, or should be, the purview of government. Those from these younger generations may think that they, therefore, have no moral obligation to donate any of their time or energy for the betterment of their communities.

Then, there are those anarchists, globalists, Antifa, BLM and wokesters who want to destroy our country, its traditions and the nuclear family. The service and charitable groups just get in the way. We have seen what the woke managements have done to companies like Disney, Target, Bud Light – Anheuser-Busch, and many professional sports.

Has this type of woke managing style come to Prescott? It is a debatable issue. Here is an example: for years, the Prescott Noon Lions have had well-marked trailers parked in various parking lots that service many of our retail businesses. These trailers provide a place where our citizens can dump their newspapers, magazines and other papers to be recycled. By recycling these papers, the Lions have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars which they have donated to local charities.

Recently, the trailer in the Pet Smart lot, near Costco in Prescott had a note placed on it telling the Lions that they had to remove the trailer from their property. The trailer has been at that location for about 20 years with no problems. This trailer annually generates 25 tons of paper that the Lions club recycles. The Prescott Noon Lions have been receiving numerous calls from citizens asking why the trailer is no longer there. One would think that Pet Smart (and Costco, for that matter), would appreciate the convenience to their customers, who could drop off recyclable papers when going shopping at Pet Smart (or Costco). If this is Pet Smart’s “corporate policy”, has Pet Smart management gone woke? One wonders if they would respond to complaints of the trailer removal that was placed there for their convenience?

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