Our front-page stories about two women renovating a garden in Peabody and a cadre of mostly senior citizens in Hillsboro selling used clothing in a thrift shop carry a theme worth noting: volunteers can and do make a difference. Karen Benbrook and Ann Slocombe, in an effort to thank other volunteers, brought a bit of beauty and flair to their town by sharing their skills in gardening and landscaping. Meanwhile, the energy invested by a couple dozen ?gray hairs? at the Et Cetera Shop is generating several thousand dollars each month to help feed and clothe people in need at home and abroad.
In a time when it?s easy to get jaded about the decline of American society and the ultimate value of looking out for anyone but No. 1, it?s refreshing and rejuvenating to be reminded that acts of generosity are candles of grace that bring light to our world. Even if the story never appears in the local newspaper. ?DR
