by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 12/1996

Today I’d like to talk about generosity – past, present and future.

The past example took place when I was a little boy, about twenty years ago. Money was very tight back then; Dad’s illness was only in its initial stages, but he could no longer work. Mom was tutoring at our school to pay our tuition, and for a few years until Mom went to work full time, times were tough.

I remember that day before Thanksgiving when Sister Marilyn and another nun from Saint Kevin Church appeared at our door with two boxes of food, including a turkey, vegetables, and other items to make a holiday dinner.

“This isn’t charity,” Sister Marilyn told Dad, “But you folks have always been good to us and we know you could use a little help right now.” Dad and Mom repeatedly thanked the nuns for their generosity, and we enjoyed a terrific dinner the next day. On Christmas Eve, the nuns appeared again, this time with jackets, winter clothes, a few toys, and more food. The following year, they helped us in similar fashion.

As the years passed and times got better, Mom and Dad made a donation to the nuns ever year, usually with a note that read something like, “Please use this to help others the way you helped us.” Mom always reminded me, “Always give something back, Bobby. There but for the grace of God go I.” A wonderful example of present generosity happened last week at the Foxboro Seniors annual Christmas faire. This is always an enjoyable event. The number of volunteers must have been triple that of the pervious year, and everyone pitched in – people set up tables, made crafts and baked goods, donated items to be sold, put up decorations and signs, sold raffled tickets, and manned the tables.

Back in the kitchen, we cooked, washed, cleaned, made coffee, served chicken pot pie, hot dogs and chowder, cleared tables, and helped in any number of capacities.

It was amazing. People had given up their Saturday and turned out in droves to help Lorraine Garland and Carol Haddad, and it was obvious that everyone was having a good time. A tremendous gift of generosity that helped raise several thousand dollars to benefit the seniors.

The example of generosity in the future depends on you. Last year, my beloved and I as well as some volunteers held two Christmas time food drives at Stop & Shop Mansfield and put up a box at Shaws Sharon to benefit the Foxboro Discretionary Fund. Over two Sundays, your generosity was overwhelming; if memory serves we collected something like 150 bags of food and around $300. I remember the feeling of joy I had driving over to Saint Marks – my car was so filled with donated food that my gas tank nearly scraped the road. We had to make three trips!

Lorraine Garland invited us to help make the Christmas baskets and deliver them the following week, and we joined many, many other wonderful volunteers in the joy of bring food and Christmas presents to folks who needed a little help. Jaycees, Knights, and other folks all turned out in droves to help. The good cheer and generosity was overwhelming.

I made four, maybe five deliveries, and each time I thought the same thing: “These are good people who are down on their luck – it feels so good to be helping them.” And then I thought back to what Sister Marilyn did for my family for those two years.

There’s no shame in needing help. There is, however, great joy in providing help.

There will be food drives in the next few weeks to benefit the Discretionary Fund at both Shaws and Stop & Shop. There will also be a donation box set up at Shaws throughout the Christmas season.

I urge you to please come down and drop off something. Whether it’s a bag of food, a can of soup or a dime in the collection jar – 100 per cent of all donations will be taken to the discretionary fund for immediate disbursement to the needy.

While the discretionary fund asks that you not donate any baby food, there is still a great need for all kinds of non-perishable food items, such as spaghetti, peanut butter, canned meats, rice, soup, canned goods, and so on. Toiletries would also be appreciated.

If you have the time and you are able, please come help make the baskets or help with the food deliveries. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Another terrific thing you can do is to “Adopt-a-child” for the holidays. Lorraine has many names of kids who need clothing and toys this holiday season, and you can help by purchasing items that child may need. I remember that wonderful woman who called us and said she and her friends had decided not to exchange presents but to adopt several needy children. In addition to the eleven bags of groceries, she and her friends donated coats, clothes, toys and other gifts. While this was an extraordinary gift, any donation – any help – will make a difference for a needy child.

Whatever you can do makes a difference. Every donation –large and small – also makes a difference. Believe me, your own holiday dinner tastes much better when you realize that you’ve helped to feed and assist those less fortunate. It’s the best holiday present of all.