Each week, South Boston Online receives a considerable amount of information, in the form of press releases, media advisories (we aren’t sure how those differ from press releases), newspapers, magazines, other publications, radio broadcasts, and word-of-mouth statements.  Every now and then, a few of these stand out in our minds.

     Furthermore, it’s always a pleasure to report on or editorialize about good news.  Unlike some of our sister publications, good news is the best news, and it’s refreshing to be able to write about it.

     Nationwide charitable giving is reported upon by a number of agencies and foundations.  Among them are “Giving USA”, which measures individual giving, and the “Foundation Center”, which reports on other donations – bequests, corporations, foundations, and so on.

     The figures are impressive:  individuals in America gave $200 billion to worthy causes; another $60 billion was donated by businesses and institutions.  This is over and above any funds from government sources.  It does not include any money sent to other countries by immigrants who are working here.  The upshot is that U.S. citizens donate more than the gross domestic product (the GDP) of most nations in the world.

     Please forgive us for too much arithmetic, but that amounts to $1,600 from each American wage-earner, and is equivalent to $700 from every man, woman, and child living in the U.S.  Not too shabby.

     But let’s bring it back to South Boston.  When Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma hit the south coast, we responded immediately.  In addition to donating money, a few of us flew down there and brought back some victims.  Our responses to the earthquake in Pakistan and the tsunami in Indonesia gave us more credit worldwide than a century of diplomatic efforts.

     South Boston is noted for its “times”.  Within memory, we raised hundreds of thousands dollars for the Swallow Street fires, sent tons upon tons of supplies to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, rescued churches and schools, funded numerous athletic and art programs, supported a host of health/education/elderly programs, and that just scratches the surface.

     In addition, our residents put in tens of thousands of volunteer work hours on causes and projects of all kinds – The Crime Watch, the Grime Watch, homework assistance, coaching and mentoring, community service of all kinds – and that just scratches the surface as well.

     We can’t forget our young people.  The most visible recent youth project was “Lighthouses on Broadway”.  The entire nation knows of that one.  And that’s just one of a host of good works done by our young folk.  Many of our coaches and youth workers are young people themselves – selfless young people, who are a credit to their families and to the ol’ hometown.

     It is perhaps unfortunate that much of South Boston’s giving is not reflected in the nationwide figures mentioned above.  But really, that’s all right, when you think of it.  The generous people of South Boston give of their time and resources, not to receive credit, but because they want to help others.  They do it with a smile - did you ever see a sourpuss at a Southie “time”?  Never happen. 

     St. Paul said it well in II Corinthians, 9:7, “The Lord loveth a cheerful giver.”