Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Coldest Night of the Year

The Coldest Night of the Year is a walk in 18 Canadian cities to raise money for the homeless. Salmon Arm is the smallest of the participating cities. Even so, we have set a goal that is 50% higher than the average of the other participants.  I love how the people of Salmon Arm are generous, connected with each other and concerned about the needs in their community.
This is a great example of what we all should be doing. By participating in efforts to support those in need, local communities rise to the challenge of good citizenship.  It is the best defence for our members in need.  Too often in our culture we want to leave it all up to the government. Big government however cannot meet all our needs. Individual citizens must shoulder their responsibility. The role of government is primarily to clear the roadblocks to success, cheer on the people and come beside what they are already doing to support them.
Yes, we have a responsibility in government to address the critical needs of the most at risk segments of the population. There is a balance that the government must not ignore. But first and foremost the government should create an environment in which the citizens can succeed and then support what they have begun.
Thank you, Salmon Arm for leading in our province

http://coldestnightoftheyear.org/location/salmonarm