I was chatting with someone the other day and he was sharing with me his concern for the future of non-profit, service-oriented organizations. He was aware of at least two organizations whose numbers of members were getting so small due to the aging factor, that he predicted in a few years they would not be in existence anymore. His concern came from the logic that the lack of younger folks replacing the ones no longer able to physically serve would be the extinction of these service clubs. He believed younger people growing up are so attached now to their cell phones for socialization, that there would be no desire on their part for them to gather as volunteers and serve in these organizations. Boy, that was a depressing conversation.
But I had some good news for him. And this is good news for all. COS just had the local Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts hold very successful food drives because they wanted to do something to help their community. They brought over their donations with great excitement and zeal. It was awesome as I watched these girls so excited not just to deliver the food to our Pantry, but also to engage in the process of how we provide boxes of food for families who call saying they need food. While I am not sure these cute little ones fully understood when I told them that there are actually family members right here in the Kennebunks who have very little to no food at times, I am certain of this – there was a seed planted in them that I hope will blossom into someday their serving in their communities. May this serve as a reminder to us all how important it is we plant these seeds and give our young people an opportunity to experience the joy of serving others.