A reflection by Bart Wingblad First I heard the laughter, and then I felt the children brush past me as they ran into the Sanders store, negotiating the narrow entrance with the man waiting at the counter. Their mother entered immediately behind them barking orders to “Put that back,” and “Watch your sister.” I smiled as I watched the five children, ages from about four to nine, three girls, and two boys, all dressed up for their picture with Santa. Their excitement took me back to days long past when my sister and brother and I would walk the two blocks from Grandma’s house to visit the Sanders store – all three of us getting chocolate malts at the counter and some rock candy to bring back to Grandpa. Somehow, we hoisted ourselves to the top of the stools, which towered over all three of us. It was a different time, and it seems a hundred years ago. I was waiting for the chocolate malt I ordered when the kids ran in. I couldn’t help but notice how happy they all seemed; withou...

Last year volunteers Anne and John Kanitra worked the Tree of Life for the first time, and it wasn’t exactly what they had expected. “We did a Saturday night and a couple of ladies came up to the table,” John said. “They had just lost their young child and she’s telling us all about it and we’re both choking back tears. “After they left we looked at each other and said, ‘Oh my gosh, is it going to be like this the whole three hours? I’ll never survive this. It’s so hard,’” he laughed. John and Anne work in home care and do multiple shifts at the Tree of Life. Luckily, the rest of that first shift went pretty smoothly and it didn’t scare them off. They kept coming back, every Saturday in fact, in what has now become a tradition in itself. They first go to church, then grab dinner at the mall before going to their Tree of Life shift. When Anne first heard about the Tree of Life she said it was a no-brainer as to whether or not they should sign up. “To take...

For volunteer Sue Cousino, Christmas Eve isn’t a time to begin cooking for the next day’s festivities, it’s a day to volunteer at Angela Hospice’s Tree of Life , and she wouldn’t have it any other way.     Sue normally works around 10 shifts at the Tree     of Life, this year she's working 12 shifts. “I always work the 24 th because lots of the ladies [volunteers] are cooking and no one wants me to cook,” Sue laughed. “I’d like people to live through the holidays so I don’t volunteer to cook, and no one would eat it anyhow if they knew I did.” So Sue has spent every Christmas Eve for the past 15 years sitting at the Tree of Life table, helping others and not cooking. What started as only working weekends has now turned into volunteering multiple times per week since she retired. She tends to work around 10 shifts per season. This year, she’s going above average and working 12. “I love to do it,” she said. While some things have chang...

Thanksgiving is a day to spend with family, give thanks, and eat too much turkey. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about getting the best deal for your buck. The following Tuesday, December 2, aka #GivingTuesday, may not have pumpkin pie or a free DVD but it will put you in the giving mood. And isn't that what the holiday season is really all about? The global day of giving was founded in 2012 by New York's 92nd Street Y, a cultural, educational, and community center that serves people of all ages, races, faiths, and backgrounds, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. #GivingTuesday was inspired by the core Jewish value of tikkun olam, which means, "repairing the world." The team of influencers and founding partners, which includes CEOs and company presidents among others, has launched a movement that has engaged over 10,000 organizations worldwide. “On the cusp of this gift-giving season, #GivingTuesday is such a refreshing reminder th...