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A
mericans are a giving people. We give of our time,
our talents and our money. Year in and year out, the
American people are consistent in their giving to
help others. Giving by Plenco families takes many forms.
This issue of
PlastiScope21
comes at the time of year
when all of us seem more generous than at other seasons.
We give thanks on the last Thursday in November, as
Thanksgiving floods our lives with appreciation of our
families and thoughtfulness toward our friends and
colleagues. And we give gifts as an expression of affection
and appreciation for our loved ones during the Christmas
Season.
But giving by Plenco families goes on throughout the
year, as the following articles on this theme confirm.
Some statistics provide the metrics for this exceptional
characteristic of the American people. The 2014 average
annual household contributions to worthy causes was just
about $3,000! The total of $358 billion was a 13.7 percent
increase over 2013.
Money is not the only way to give. Last year 64.5 million
adults volunteered 7.9 billion hours of service, worth an
estimated value of $175 billion.
From building a hospice for terminally ill persons, to
ringing Salvation Army bells and volunteering to fight fires,
Plenco people are giving around the calendar.
As Charles Dickens wrote in the beloved
A Christmas
Carol
, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep
it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the
Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will
not shut out the lessons that they teach!”
It is Christmas now, and we just celebrated Thanksgiving.
What a perfect time to count our blessings, and share with
others now and throughout 2016.
“God bless us, every one!”
‘We make a living by what we get.
We make a life by what we give.’
Winston S. Churchill
What is it About...
The Spirit of Giving?
F
rom a variety of local charities to which I donate time,
the one that is most fulfilling is the Salvation Army’s Red
Kettle Christmas Campaign that enables the Salvation
Army to provide food, toys and clothing to people in our area
during the Christmas season.
I have rung the bell only a few times, somehow bribing my
youngest son to do it with me, usually at the south side Walmart a few days
before Christmas when the store is the busiest and with the hope people will
be in a generous holiday spirit. It just amazes me how many people put
money into the kettle, especially the ones who appear not to have much money
themselves.
It’s also very heart-warming when strangers come up to me and thank me for
doing it. Every year during the holidays, it saddens me to go to a store and see
the kettle stand sitting in front without a kettle because they cannot find enough
people to ring the bell.
I plan to sign up for this event this year and would love to have some of my
co-workers join me. You can sign up on their Web site:
www.sasheboygan.org.
Almost 3.3 million people of all ages volunteered their time, talents and
resources to assist The Salvation Army’s work last year, and they are critical
partners in helping the Salvation Army’s promise to America of “Doing the
Most Good.”
My Most Fulfilling Sheboygan Charity
Every Christmas the Salvation Army
in Sheboygan teams up with the U.S.
Marine Corps Toys for Tots program
to collect toys for children from new-
born to 17 in the greater Sheboygan
area. Toys that are donated in the
Sheboygan area are
distributed to families
in need through The
Toy Shoppe. This
year distribution
day was Thursday,
December 17.
By Kim Johnston
(Human Resources)