​Volunteers are the secret sauce of the nonprofit world. Volunteers do so many things that are essential to the functioning of our nonprofits.
Let’s look at the volunteer Board of Trustees. They give of their time, their skills, their wisdom. The Board is responsible for ensuring that the nonprofit is fulfilling the mission of the organization and is fiscally sound. The River Center’s Board is comprised of individuals who are excited about the mission of The River Center which is, “The River Center provides parent education, family support and community connections in a welcoming environment to strengthen individuals and families in the Eastern Monadnock Region.”

Random Acts of Kindness Day was last Friday. Somebody decided it would be a good thing to celebrate such a day. Why?
Being curious, I did some research. I found out there is the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation with a mission to make kindness the norm. Here is what they say on their website:
“We are rooted in the belief that all people can connect through kindness and that kindness can be taught.”

We are heading into what is sometimes referred to as the Season of Giving. Which is preceded by the Season of Thanksgiving.
Personally, it makes me kind of sad when I see the jump from Halloween directly to the December holidays, skipping Thanksgiving altogether. It seems that pausing to reflect on thankfulness is important to our perspective. Could it be that a thankful heart leads to a generous heart?
When I pause to consider what I am thankful for, I start thinking about what I have, not what I don’t have; a position of bounty, not lack. And then I want to share and be generous.