Know how to get it done

 I have always been proud to say I am from a small town.  There are so many great things about small towns, and the one thing I have chosen to write about is how small communities know how to get it done.  Word spreads quickly if there is a financial need within the community or a family needs help with a medical emergency. In a matter of days, a date is set, and an event is planned.  The fundraising has begun. 

                                      

When I describe my community, I say "the people from my community know how to work hard and how to play hard. They also know how to step up to help out whenever needed".  All too often they do all three of those things in the same day. 

                                         

Recently, I heard there was a fundraising event to replace the flooring in the school gym.  The organizer's invited Theo Fluery to the community, offered a meal, and of course had an auction of donated items.  It was a sold-out crowd and at the end of the night they raised just over $45,000.  In one night!!!!! One sour cream pie was auctioned for $800.  That would be only one of many donated items that went for a huge amount of money, just to help out. This community of 250 people with the aid of surrounding communities do this all of the time.  This was not a one off it is how it is done.  It's like "you need money well let's make some money for you". 

                                                

Several years ago, I attended a very special fundraising event to offset medical expenses for a dear person in my life.  The walls were lined with dozens of donated items for the silent auction.  A massive bake sale was taking place on the stage.  Not only had the women brought a food item for the potluck supper, but they also baked items to sell, and probably bought baking to take home. For some reason one image will always remain with me. I watched as a friend of the honored person walked in with 8 loaves of freshly made bread. They were still steaming and had probably been out of the oven for the length of time it took her to drive to Carievale.  I am not sure why this sight in all of the generous acts I witnessed, touched me in the way it did. I believe it is because even as busy as this lady was, late in her day she started to make bread to help out a friend.  I could feel the love and caring that went into her bread.  It was the same love and caring that was going on everywhere in that hall.     

Along with the silent auction, there was another list of bigger items that were auctioned by the local auctioneer.  It began with $250 cinnamon buns and went up to a young girl doing her own bidding to buy a "registered colt".  People just kept opening their wallets.  The organizers never even thought about the work involved they were having the time of their lives making it happen. In those few hours, those organizers didn't raise thousands of dollars, they raised tens of thousands of dollars.  Now that is how you get it done.  

This community does this all of the time.  They have huge events in the rink to keep it going. People donate what they can, or they go to support the event or both.  Of course, if you can't attend you simply send a cheque.  It has always been that way even when times are tough, they are still managing to make sure the community and the people in that community are supported. 

            

I don't live in a small community anymore, but I can always tell who is from a small community. If I go to something in the city, when it is over the people that pick up their chairs and put them away are often from small communities. Before they leave, they make sure someone is thanked for making the event happen.  Small town people know how much work it takes to make sure others have a good time and they want to acknowledge that.  Following any event in a small town, when it is clean up time, everybody takes part.  The chairs and tables are on the move, the garbage is out the door and in no time, everything is left exactly as if nothing had taken place.  

Giving back is different in the city.  Often events are organized by big organizations and details are taken care of by a staff.  I do have to say something I admire is the strong volunteer groups within the city.  These people are devoted to show up without fail, every week or more often to support their cause. The needs of the city are so different than a small community. The homeless, addicted and hungry drive the groups in a different way. I am a bit lost in how they do all of that, I just know it is admirable to watch the devotion of those people to help the vulnerable populations in the way that they do.   

I write this post with so much pride of my former community.  I don't think the people that live there and donate so freely, realize that doesn't happen everywhere. The generosity they possess is not the norm, but for them it is totally normal, and they will just keep doing it.  

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I have enjoyed writing it.  There is a lesson here.  I feel for me in my retirement I need to remind myself of my small-town roots and embrace the importance of supporting others.  I am not a big organization donor, that is just not me.  I love to support the unique needs of my city community.  If inner city schools need hats and mitts for the children, or the Mental Health need socks, I'm your girl. We all just need to do what we can, I have always believed you must give to receive.  I hope that none of us will ever need someone to step up and get it done for us.  The reality is there are no guarantees in life.