Love in Times of Turmoil
Bob Kasieta, Board President
The Beatles proclaimed, “All you need is love.” We know that’s not literally true. But it sure is a good place to begin. My message to you this month is simple: thank you for the love you show BPNN and your neighbors.
We live in troubled times. The world is at hot and cold war in many places. Domestic politics is divisive. The gap between rich and poor widens. Inflation hits all but the richest among us. Winter looms with its icy breath that we feel in autumn evenings that make us shiver. Days grow darker. We are surrounded by cause for worry, even despair, if that is what we choose.
In the face of this reality, the wonderful volunteers of BPNN step up every day to do what we can to fight poverty in our community. You do it with a boundless optimism that inspires those around you. You do it as volunteers, receiving in return only the knowledge that you have made a difference. You do it because you love your neighbors, and you realize that those neighbors might be people you have not even met. But it doesn’t matter – they are your neighbors still.
You hale from our faith community, from our businesses, from government agencies, and from homes where people realize that true virtue is found in helping others. Yours is no small sacrifice. And we never take it for granted. Thank you for being who you are and thank you for caring.
Sad and difficult times teach us. They teach us about the world around us. They teach us about ourselves. And the measure of our commitment to goodness is how we respond to profound challenges. How is BPNN responding? We will respond with love. We continue plans to expand our building. The need increases. We must build again to accommodate that need. We will reach out to you, the community that has always cared, to continue to stand with your neighbors, by contributing to our cause with treasure and time. It is so important to volunteer to fill shifts at the food pantry. We need good, dependable volunteers now more than ever because we are serving more neighbors than ever.
The Beatles were not right that “All you need is love.” But you sure can’t do much good without it. Thank you for loving and caring for BPNN and for your neighbors.