A big cheer for ‘Progress’

Friday’s opinion page of the Recorder customarily has a ‘Cheers’ segment where we take a moment to applaud good deeds and accomplishments, great and small, that took place the previous week.

Over the past few weeks the Recorder staff have been preparing the ‘Progress’ special section that came out in Thursday’s paper— a collection of stories about those that give their time, energy and resources back to our community.

In the process, we met some extraordinary community members and heard stories that have given us even more to cheer about than ever.

We talked with people who gave their time generously, sometimes giving most or all of their days off because their cause of choice was more important to them than their own personal time.

We talked with businesses who identified needs in the community and sought out ways to fill those needs, creating employee-led committees and allotting time away from their regular duties to pursue charitable work.

We talked with agencies who refused to let red tape get in the way of making a difference, finding new and creative ways to help those in need.

Whether it’s giving food, backpacks, space, knowledge, guidance, monetary gifts, playgrounds, or just a stable business where people can make a living, the people who give back all have something in common— a realization that sharing with their community makes a better home for all of us, and makes us better people.

In a time where current social and political issues are creating great rifts in communities across our country, Porterville remains largely intact. Why?

There are surely many reasons, but some of them are our collective capacity as a community to care for one another, and our willingness to give when we don’t have to.

So a very big cheers to all those in our Progress section for giving without hesitation to Porterville, and for allowing us to share your stories. You truly move our community forward, and you truly make a difference.