Salvation Army Angel Tree
On Saturday I had the privilege of volunteering at the Columbia Mall for the Salvation Army Angel Tree program. The idea behind this program is pretty simple. People stop by the location in the mall and select an angel with a child’s name, age, and gender from the tree. They then go and buy gifts for that child. During my time volunteering the generosity was overwhelming. People were dropping off bikes and huge bags of toys that they bought for children they have never met before. Even in these tougher then normal economic times people were willing to open their wallets and help out those that are less fortunate. It was individual choices that were being made; individuals lives were being positively impacted not by a government hand out, but by others who truly cared about the circumstances of others. It is this generosity that keeps America going strong.
As we have learned from history, increased government programs do not solve problems, the Great Depression was not solved because of the New Deal, and in fact the economy took a turn for the worse once the New Deal was enacted. The economic downturn of the late eighties was not solved by a government spending program. There needs to be a catalyst of some sort to fix economic troubles. The government does not do a good job of providing catalysts to the economy. President Bush and President Obama have infused billions of dollars in the economy, and new jobs have not been created. While the government’s heart is in the right place and they are trying to help those in need, it is not something they do well. Help needs to come from those closer to the situation. The Salvation Army is going to be providing holiday memories for all those children that receive gifts due to the generosity of local citizens. This is the help that is needed. Local individuals creating jobs, creating hope, and creating a better place for us all to live is how communities are impacted for the better. Our society is better when we all pitch in and help, not when we stand back and hope someone will fix the problem for us.
