'Tis the season for something that will change your life

By Nancy Jernigan

The holidays evoke in us the desire to reach out to others. And there are many opportunities for us to share our blessings.

We have our ancestors and their culture of caring to partially thank, along with the fundamentally good nature of human beings. Alexis de Tocqueville recognized it and wrote about it in "Democracy in America." In 1835 he wrote about his admiration for the American spirit of voluntary association and voluntary effort for the community good.

The United Way of Southeast Missouri challenges all of those in our community to continue this giving spirit long after Christmas Day into and throughout the new year. We are recommitting ourselves to doing everything we can to find just the right opportunity for you to get involved, and we guarantee you will personally benefit from it.

Your first step is to pick up the phone and make a call to your favorite agency or organization, an agency that works with populations you are interested in, or our local volunteer center at 335-7555. Or go online at www.vicrsvp.org or www.unitedwayofsemo.org. If you don't find the perfect volunteer activity the first time, try again. It may take several attempts to find the one that fits you best. It's worth the effort. To make it even more fun, pair up with a friend.

Just to entice you a little, the following are some examples of what you could do:

• Work with disabled young adults, enjoying their positive spirit.
• Read to a third-grader who is falling behind.
• Visit with a senior whose only visitor is someone bringing them a hot meal each day.
• Teach a group of struggling adolescents a skill while being a role model for them.
• Give blood.
• Help build a house to provide stability to a single parent family.
• And so many more.

What I have found that we need most in our Southeast Missouri communities -- and everywhere -- is more ways to simply connect with one another. I read something once written by Mother Teresa: "The poor need food, clothing and shelter, but what they need more than that is love." Isn't this true for all of us? This season reminds us of the perfect love we have been shown with the simple request that we pass it on to others.

You will be hearing more from the United Way about ways to get connected, so stay tuned. Time is a valuable commodity. But there is not a better investment of your time than to reach out to others. All you have to do is start the conversation. Imagine if everyone -- everyone -- gave a little. Just imagine.

Nancy Jernigan is the executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri.