Giving your free time to help others without expecting a financial reward is a noble and laudable sentiment. Thanks to this collective sense large organizations have emerged that today could not exist without them.
During the 19th century, America had a great awakening and began to pay attention to the disadvantaged and to understand the movement against slavery. Youngsters began to help others in their communities and in 1851 the first YMCA was founded. Seven years later the YWCA followed.
During the American Civil War, Clara Barton and her group of women known as “Angels of the Battlefield” offered their time as volunteers sewing clothes for soldiers and providing them with all kinds of help. As a result, and understanding the need for those services, in 1881 Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.
The 20th century saw the birth of the Salvation Army, one of the oldest organizations helping the needed. Followed the Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions Clubs. After World War II, The Peace Corps in 1960. We could fill volumes recounting the good that all these and other organizations have provided humanity thanks to the voluntary work of many of its members.
The story we bring on our front page, is the conversion of a convent into 10 apartments for needy area families.
We emphasize the excellent work that hundreds of volunteers are making it possible and especially the Temple Shir Tikvah group, located in Winchester, more than 20 miles from Lawrence. A group of them travel every Saturday to cooperate with their effort, performing a good deed: making history by serving others.
We hope that many others will follow their example, we are sure we would have a better city.
