Sunday's Bethel Bounty is a great way to kick off this season of giving. A benefit for the Bethel Park Community Foundation, this is the sixth year for the event, which features a bundle of area restaurants, showcasing their culinary delights. For all the fun which is associated with the evening, its purpose is to raise money to fund grant requests from various Bethel Park organizations. In nearly three years, approximately $150,000 has been awarded to a wide range of groups.
This is just one way to give back. There are, of course, other fund-raising efforts conducted throughout the year by groups with the same aim - helping others. It is also not unheard of to learn of individuals who go out of their way to assist a neighbor or give to those they've never met.
For the overwhelming majority, there's no hidden agenda. No request for payback. No expectations. What is done is done through sheer kindness. Many times, the only thought is "what more can I do."
That's what we all should start thinking about as we roll into the year's end. There's so much more that can be done. Even simple acts of goodwill, such as checking on an elderly neighbor, go a long way in this world nowadays.