This is how it all begins…I’ve been remiss in posting to Change-Can for some time, busy with the new semester, etc., but excuses are no excuse.

I’m in the process of starting a food drive on campus, and is frequently the case when working with other organizations on campus, the ship of bureaucracy is slow to turn…but we will get there.  Consider starting a food drive in your place of employment. One plastic bin will go a long ways in helping those who do not have enough to eat. For those of us like myself with a bit too much around the middle, it is particularly obscene that while some do not have enough to eat, my waistline is evidence of my excess and affluence.

I’m also working on putting together a veterans group on campus for our student veterans, of which we have many…young men and women who have put themselves in harm’s way. And while I frequently do not share their political beliefs, my ideology takes a back seat to being of service to those who have served. Think about what you can do to help our veterans, many of whom wind up at the local food pantry or on the streets due to personal, societal and governmental issues. While our government frequently fails those in need, veterans most egregiously, we need not do so. There are many organizations in desperate need of volunteers and support, and most are merely a mouse-click away.

Finally, for the past several years I have been paying $40 per month to the local YMCA to sustain a membership that I fail to use for several reasons….(1) I am terribly lazy (2) I have all the equipment I need at home to maintain myself physically (3) The reasons are unimportant. So I’ve decided that rather than waste $40 per month, I could put that money to good use by funding a small scholarship on my campus. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things and will not even cover the entire cost for one student to attend one semester’s worth of classes, but it might help defray the cost of tuition and/or books for some person who in turn, will go on to inspire and facilitate change. You might consider doing so as well. If you appreciate the education you received and/or the efforts of a particular instructor, and remember what it was like to be a poor college student, think about funding a small grant/scholarship at your local campus or alma mater.

These are small steps, and there is much work to be done. Think about what you can do today to help. No effort is too small, no idea is too insignificant. One good thing is one good thing, and the world does not contain enough good things. Enjoy the weekend and fight the good fight. – Chris