Although I appreciate the sentiment of writer Bill Rabenaldt (“What if we took an interest in our own communities?” Feb.11) concerning how and where we expend our charitable resources, I feel that it is important to point out some very pertinent facts regarding those efforts.
With little fanfare, charitable organizations and service clubs raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars right at home, at the local community level. Almost every such group has fundraisers for educational scholarships, Christmas and Thanksgiving food relief, assistance for individuals not able to make utility bills, and so on. When disasters strike in this nation, such as when Katrina devastated the gulf areas, service clubs and charitable organizations are often the first in, or at least among the first responders with aid and supplies. When compared to governmental organizations, far more of the funds raised for relief hit the ground than go to fund bureaucracy.
The organization to which I belong, Lions Clubs International, has repeatedly received the “Best Non-Governmental Organization” award in recent years. This is for our work both in and out of country. When the writer mentions sending glasses to those who cannot see (out of the country), he neglects to mention the reason: Prescription laws in the United States do not allow glasses to be recycled here. Other nations benefit primarily because of our restrictive regulatory practices, which in this case may not be such a bad thing. Lions, as the “Knights of the Blind,” raise huge amounts of money funneled through various 501(c)(3) charities such as the “Lions in Sight Foundation” and other similar foundations to assist those unable to afford adequate eye care here in the United States.
More than our form of government, more than our nation’s wealth and resources, the one thing that makes our land great is the caring heart of her people. We will always, as long as we don’t lose our way, be the ones to provide assistance wherever it is required, regardless of nationality or geographic location.
This article appears in Feb 18-25, 2010.