Letter: Thank You for Supporting the Parkway Kettle Campaign

To the Editor:

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas... Well maybe not weather-wise but certainly at the entrance to thanks to The Salvation Army - Parkway Kettle Campaign, a large boom box, and a crew of cheerful bell ringers under the coordination of Jim Hennigan.

As one of those bell ringers I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to my neighbors, friends, and complete strangers from West Roxbury and the surrounding area who selflessly give to the Salvation Army campaign. The generosity that people show is tremendous and even more proof that I grew up and live in one of the truly special places in the world. Young and old, singles and couples, gay and straight, all races and religions, parents, grandparents: it really doesn't matter, they all seem to want to give and give with a smile.

As someone who is not known for having a tremendous “Christmas Spirit”, in fact I have avoided both 105.7 and 103.3 for weeks now, the most uplifting moments for me come when parents teach their young children that giving to the less fortunate is the right thing to do. What starts as a young child reaching up to the kettle continues with teenagers and young adults giving on their own because it is what they have been taught. It is hard to not get a warm and rewarding feeling when a kid you coach in Little League takes the last dollar and 50 cents in his pocket and places it in that red kettle because someone else may need it more than him. That, to me, is what this neighborhood is all about.

So as the weather turns, the Holiday Season continues, and Christmas quickly approaches please do what you can to continue to give in these hard times. Even if it is just a smile and a hello, anything you can give is more than welcome to the bell ringers.

If you'd like to learn more about, or get involved in, the Parkway Kettle Campaign feel free to contact Jim Hennigan at jim@jimhennigan.com. He has done a remarkable job organizing this effort for over a decade, and deserves tremendous praise.

Rob McLaughlin