Anyone who watches television regularly can attest to one element that will look to viewers for attention and support: well-organized national and sometimes international agencies want regular, guaranteed monthly financial support. And they give evidence via well-documented advertisements of their needs that will tear at your heartstrings.
Shown in graphic color are chained up emaciated dogs of all ages waiting for their empty food bowls to be filled; very old Holocaust survivors, usually women, living in squalor, lacking food of any type and apparently totally abandoned by a totalitarian government; children in need of and receiving state-of-the-art health care free of charge for very serious, debilitating diseases and physically disabling conditions needing sophisticated surgical attention; and organizations that look to supporting the physical, psychological and emotional needs of our military veterans.
These are just a few of the many legitimate, non-profit organizations and foundations seeking sustaining monetary support, oftentimes $19 a month. While support of such charitable non-profits is not to be discouraged, consider that at the local level there are many organizations that do charitable and philanthropic work, oftentimes for our friends and neighbors.
The Brookings Area United Way is one way to support more than 35 non-profits. It’s one way to reach a lot of our neighbors in need.
Consider supporting the Brookings Regional Humane Society. One way to do that would be the adoption of an animal. Shelter pets make great companions — of course not as hoity toity as a Siberian-Lithuanian sheepdog — but you won’t have to take out a bank loan to buy one. In addition to monetary donations — one-time or sustaining — the BRHS accepts a variety of items needed there; check out its Online Wishlist.
While it may be hard to imagine that a wealthy nation such as the United States cannot feed all its people, know that there are families in our Brookings community area challenged to put food on the table. Consider that and check out Feeding Brookings; Brookings Backpack Project; and Brookings County Food Pantry.
In the area of healthcare, consider some of the causes of the Brookings Health System Foundation: Hospice fund; general fund; “Tough Enough to Wear Pink”; Team Isaac; ambulance; and Neighborhoods at Brookview.
As you consider where to donate dollars to good causes, look to a simple time-tested adage: Charity begins at home.
Be careful in road construction zones
Construction season has set upon us again. Orange barrels and yellow vests are common sight on highways and roads across South Dakota.
The construction workers for these road projects are providing a key service to the public — maintaining our highway and road infrastructure.
We owe it to them to exercise a great deal of caution when motoring through their work places.
When driving through construction, it is important to heed the reduced speed limit signs posted in the zones.
We need to make sure a momentary lapse in attention do not turn into a tragedy
Narrower lanes, uneven pavement, and “drop-offs” mean that high speeds can cause a vehicle to lose control regardless of whether a crew is on-site. When we ignore these limits, we are taking unnecessary chances.
It is also especially important to heed laws about use of electronic devices when moving through construction zones.
We need to keep in mind that in a construction zone the margin for error is zero because lives are at risk.
The orange barrels aren’t there to ruin your day. They are there to protect the construction workers.
Road construction remains one of the most dangerous professions and we should all do what we can to change that.
Leave a Reply