People Are Good
If you are a consistent consumer of the news and media coverage, you’re probably under the false impression that all human beings are bad. We see constant stories of murders, robberies, assaults, and misconduct by our corporate, government, and church leaders. People are not disproportionately bad, but bad people get a disproportionate amount of press coverage.
People who are taking care of their families, kind to their neighbors, and who provide an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay are rarely, if ever, the subject of news stories. I am constantly amazed by the number of unsung heroes who freely give their time, talent, and effort to worthwhile causes and needy people. You may feel as if you don’t have time to volunteer to serve others. There are countless unique opportunities that may fit your schedule and your lifestyle.
As a blind person myself, I have been interested in and intrigued by a fabulous resource for service you can find via bemyeyes.com. Be My Eyes is a free smartphone app that allows any sighted person in the world to assist a blind person in need. The app costs nothing and allows you to assist blind people who need someone to read a food label, help match the color of their clothes, review a printed bus schedule, or perform any other visual task where a blind person would require help. You don’t have to commit any specific amount of time as every request from a blind person goes out to 10 volunteers. So if you don’t have time to answer, someone else will.
Currently there are over 100,000 blind people using the service, but the statistic that best describes the goodness in humanity is the fact that there are 1.8 million volunteers around the world who speak 180 different languages and are willing to share their sight with a blind person. It is all completely anonymous so all you need is a smartphone, a pure heart, and a willingness to help someone around the world whom you would never otherwise meet.
If this volunteer opportunity doesn’t capture your imagination, I hope you will remember that people are good, and somewhere there’s a person in need of your unique talents and a little bit of your time.
As you go through your day today, explore bemyeyes.com or another place where you can make a difference.
Today’s the day!