Every day we make a difference to the people in our lives. Whether it’s finding homes for a neighbor’s litter of puppies, helping a friend get through a tough time, taking an elderly parent to church come Sunday morning — you name it, we all work to make the lives of the people around us just a little bit better. And we get the same in return.
Think about the phrase “neighbors helping neighbors.” Perhaps you think of your immediate neighbors. Maybe you extend that out to include all the people on your street or in your neighborhood. Taking on a broader view, you could consider every single resident of Beaufort County a neighbor.
Saturday is Make a Difference Day, during which millions of people worldwide give their time and talent to making a difference for their neighbors, in the broader sense. And Saturday, we may be thinking about a trip down to Washington’s waterfront to eat some barbecue, sample some chili.
Now, there’s an easy way you can make a difference: eating barbecue. Strangely enough, paying for that barbecue you’re eating contributes to Washington Noon Rotary scholarship programs. While you’re there, stop by the Beaufort County Boys & Girls Club tent and give them a thumb’s up for making cards for cops and firemen, teachers and the elderly. Encouragement always makes a difference. And the vendors out there with their handcrafted goods, think about making a buy. Supporting craftsmen and artists inspires them to create more and add more of their unique brand of beauty to our environment.
But if you don’t plan on going to Smoke on the Water this weekend, find another way to help, to support, to assist your neighbor, again in the broader sense. It makes a difference.