Lessons From a Parking Lot in Binghamton

As we are about to wrap up the most brutal Presidential election, quite possibly the nastiest in the history of the country, sitting in the Food-A-Bago, collecting food for the needy in our community on an early Sunday morning in a parking lot in Binghamton, it gave me a chance to reflect and gather my thoughts.

Seeing all the families coming from church to remember the poor in our community with bags and boxes of groceries, made me realize that people are kind and giving.  I would see young kids come with their moms and dads with a huge smile on their face as they would hand a bag of food to me to put in safe keeping for the CHOW food drive.  Before they sat in their car, they would look back with another smile on their face and a quick wave.  Many of these families would tell me how they look forward to helping every year at this time.  Then I thought how this simple life lesson of giving, could very well help hold and shape these children in to doing this the rest of their lives.  The power is giving is life changing.

So many wonderful people of all ages came out to say hello to us over the past week. Meeting you in person was an amazing experience and one I will never forget.  Acting on this kindness is something that this community sees every day, it's just we focus on all the bad and negative things in the world.  But it doesn't have to be hate.  It can be love.  It's the love I saw in all those families this past week.

We have a strong community that is very giving and I am proud to be living in the Greater Binghamton area and I'm proud to be an American.  Thank you for making a difference to so many in our community in the coming weeks, by filling the shelves at the CHOW warehouse, for those who need it most.