A Great Day

It was completely unintentional but it is a real good thing that the United Way Day of Caring comes when it does and that is right around the anniversary of Sept. 11. Sept 11, 2001, fell on a Tuesday, the day of the week when United Way’s Day of Caring has always been scheduled since its inception 12 years ago in Berkeley County and 11 years ago in Jefferson County.

Perhaps because more attention was paid to the annual observations of the events of Sept. 11 this year — the fifth anniversary — Day of Caring provided a greater relief from the sadness and tears, heartache and mourning of this day. Day of Caring provided a greater lift of spirits from the profound grief and sorrow brought on by another anniversary of Sept. 11.

Locally, Day of Caring had become one of the events of the year. It had that Friday night football game feel to it; that Fourth of July parade sense; county fair atmosphere. Day of Caring was a community coming together to do good things for each other. Day of Caring was the most special of special events.

Then came Sept. 11, 2001, and Day of Caring took on a whole new meaning, a whole new importance and whole new role to play. It is quite a weighty role to have to play but Day of Caring has accepted its new part with enthusiasm and energy and a smile.

Day of Caring became our weapon against terror and those who would use it against the people of America and the rest of the free world. In our little part of the universe, this is our little way of fighting back against the merciless murderers.

The weapon is compassion, charity, tolerance and humanity. The weapon is a day filled with kindness and generosity, sympathy and goodwill toward people we might not even know.

The weapon is a Day of Caring.

This year, about 1,300 volunteers swarmed across the tri-county doing more than 40 projects for United Way member agencies like the Shenandoah Women’s Shelter, at which The Journal staff members volunteered to paint.

Other activities included reading to children, repairing the homes of the elderly, upgrading local parks and recreational sites, stocking food pantries, sweeping floors, cleaning windows and so on and so on.

Other agencies that are the beneficiaries of Day of Caring volunteers is the American Red Cross chapters locally, Jefferson County Council of Aging, CASA, CCAP/Loaves and Fishes Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club and the list goes on.

The volunteers come from several businesses throughout the area, many of which give their employees off with pay to take part in Day of Caring, fraternal organizations, service clubs and individuals.

These monstrous savages who attacked us on Sept. 11, murdering close to 3,000 people whose only sin that day was going to work or getting on an airplane, want to destroy our way of life. The best way we can fight this enemy is to continue to have faith and to fill our hearts with understanding and to maintain our humanity, which they have given over to the forces of evil.

Thanks to all who spent so much of their own time and energy to organize this year’s Day of Caring and to all those who took part in Day of Caring. You are soldiers in the war on world wide terror and its minions.

Section: Editorials    Posted: 9/13/2006

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