I spent a couple of hours this morning with the fine folks from Rise: A Community Service Partnership at the East Windsor ShopRite as part of our Patch-Rise food drive. Most people are gracious and helpful — we’d collected some food and about $30 in cash in less than two hours. There were some, however, who not only declined to help, but were downright nasty about it.
It’s an odd dynamic. There are far too many people who view efforts to aid those less fortunate than us as encouraging the poor to stay poor, as if anyone wants to remain in poverty when they have a chance to be self-sufficient. The dismissiveness and nastiness that we were met with by some is truly disheartening.
Thankfully, most people are generous and wan to help their neighbors. If you are one of the generous ones, stop by the ShopRite on Route 130 in East Windsor before 7 tonight or between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. tomorrow and make a contribution. The people at Rise and those they help will be grateful.
Hank Kalet 