In daily life, we are confronted with various people - some friendly, others not so much. We watch the news and see that some people are, in fact, quite horrible. Adding to our disillusionment is the fact that most people we encounter on the street don't quite look like the people who sell things to us during commercial breaks. They aren't quite up to that "ideal" appearance.
Fundraising and volunteering give us an opportunity to see people as they really are. They are not the mythical creatures peddled to us on the television. They are neither the siren of the commercial, nor are they the minotaur of the nightly news.
However, we do find a lot of dreamers. We find people with vision and ability and a willingness to create something for the good of others. On the outside, they look like the same people that we viewed with a fishy eye at Starbucks when they cut in front of us in line. In fact, they are the same people - however, we only get a chance to meet them fully when working together on a project we love.
The joy in fundraising is the opportunity to be inspired daily through the people we meet at work. This week, Phyllis Hanicke donated so that she could complete her next status on the Honor Roll. She is a long-time St. Louis Scientologist. In fact, she was working with the subject before there was an organization in the area... and before there was a "Scientology." She gave so that the staff could have a nice place to work. I had no idea that was her reason for giving. Isn't that great? Once again, I have met someone "new" who was standing beside us the whole time.
