Do a “Good Turn for America!”

Good Turn for America is a national call to service by the Boy Scouts of America to address the issues of hunger, homelessness, and poor health in our nation.

In this effort, the Boy Scouts of America is partnering with some of the nation’s most respected service organizations, including The Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity. These organizations, and thousands of others, will work to provide opportunities for youth and volunteers to fight hunger and homelessness, and teach the habits of healthy living.

In West Tennessee the ongoing service project is food donation and collection for the needy for distribution by RIFA, the “Regional inter-faith Association of West Tennessee,” the most active institution in feeding the needy in West Tennessee. If you would like to help, RIFA is in need of the following items:

• Peanut Butter
• Cereal – 14 oz boxes
• Canned peaches
• Applesauce
• Canned meats
• Dry beans
• Rice
• Instant Dry milk
• Cake mix and icing

If you can help, please drop off items at RIFA Food Bank on North Highland in Jackson, TN. RIFA is a 501C3 non-profit corporation dedicated to helping the needy in Jackson-Madison County, Tennessee since 1976.

Given so much, time to give back.

So, the boy came with no hitches and so far so good. Having a son really makes you reflect on your place in the world and changes how you see yourself. It is one thing to leave home and graduate college and get a job and get married, but it is something entirely different and more important to have a child. It is the true gateway to “real manhood,” in my opinion. It has me thinking a lot more about my local community and how I can start to participate more. My new hobby is looking for community service opportunities and getting to know and understand the local institutions. I think we could all benefit from worrying less about national and international news and focusing more energy on getting to know our local community and it’s needs.

One organization that I am sure always needs volunteer help and that really helps a community is the Boy Scouts of America. Though I certainly did not fully appreciate it at the time, Boy Scouts gave me countless opportunities to test myself and learn to be an effective leader and follower and about how to be a good man. With that thought in mind, I looked up the local boyscout district and found this great website for West Tennessee Boyscout troops and their ongoing scheduled events.