George Stahl

Many of our neighbors in the valley have fallen on hard times. You see them at the grocery store outside the doors; walking through the gas station pumps; near a restaurant and at the freeway off ramps. They ask for spare change for various reasons, but the bottom line is they need help.

I know you are not naïve. Some ask for money that will not use it to buy food. Food is probably the last thing on their minds, but if we just group everyone who needs help in with them, we might miss an opportunity to change someone’s life for the better. That guy at the corner has lost his job and has been looking for work, but there isn’t any work. The woman talking to herself by the tree is one of those who suffer from a mental disability, and has fallen through the cracks and is not getting the care she needs, and she’s hungry.

The two men sitting on the bench in front of the store served our country proudly and now come to us, humbly asking for a hand up, not a hand out, and that couple walking through the parking lot with their children are wondering where they will all sleep tonight.

We see them, but sometimes we look past them. We find ourselves saying “Oh man! I don’t need this!” We may even walk out of our way to avoid them, and we don’t even know their story.

When you went outside today did you say, “Man, its cold out here!” as you pulled your scarf tighter around your neck, and pulled your hat down over your ears. Those men and women asking for help say the same thing, but can’t go through the motions of warming themselves. Perhaps not that long ago, by a twist of fate, or even by self-inflicted wounds their lives took a nose-dive into the abyss of the economic times surrounding us.

“Let the government take care of them.” Yeah, well they try, I guess, but they can’t do it all.

Some say that we are in a depression more far reaching than the Great Depression of 1929. Then, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was 25 percent. Today, Kern County’s unemployment is over 15 percent and rising. Not all of these people are out of work by choice. We were supposed to learn from past mistakes, not repeat them. One of the things the Great Depression did for this country was to show people how to pull together. Why not repeat that lesson.

As individuals, we can’t turn this around, but we can make a difference in small ways. Whatever we do for someone else is never too small. There are non-profit organizations that try to help stay the effects of these troubled days, but we can help as well.

Maybe your neighbor needs groceries, but doesn’t drive. You may see a person standing outside of a store who hasn’t eaten for days; all he needs is a little money for food for himself and his small, loyal dog. Another needs a buck for a cup of hot coffee to stay warm, or still another needs a few dollars to buy food for her kids.

It’s true that not all of us have a faith that tells us that when we give, even a little, to anyone who needs it, we are rewarded by God. That is strong enough reason for many in the valley, but it doesn’t have to be your reason.

Compassion can motivate us to help. Call it empathy if you want, but why not let it move you to share a little something. Donations of money or food, or clothes are tax deductible. Maybe you don’t want anyone to see you giving or lending a hand. You can give anonymously, no one will be the wiser, and your reputation will stay intact.

With all of us doing something once a week to help, together we can make a difference in our valley. Forget about the righteous reasons, do it because it will make you feel good. Give that guy at the gas station or the post office or in the park a little spare change. I dare you to see how it feels. Then, over time, if you give it a chance, maybe that feeling of self-gratification will turn into a sense of duty to your fellow man, or maybe not, but there’s no harm to try.

Remember, once a week, give someone something of yourself. I challenge you to do whatever you can, and you will see, it will make a difference to someone, a family, or even to a little dog. Who knows, maybe one of the people you help will repay you someday…. by helping someone else. Imagine that for 2010.