I end most nights asking myself that very question, and the answers have varied widely. Sometimes, it’s buying an extra meal for someone on my way to lunch. Sometimes it’s visiting a parishioner in the hospital. Sometimes it’s donating to a charity, holding the door for someone whose hands were full or just offering a smile and a kind word to a stranger who looked weighed down by life.
These aren’t grand gestures. They’re simply choices. And every day, I strive to do at least one tangible thing to honor this “superhero” potential.
There is no greater feeling than helping a neighbor in need. Psychology even affirms what our spirits already know: helping others is good for us. A 1987 article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology concluded that the very act of giving heightens our sense of fulfilment, deepens our connection to others, boosts our self-esteem and enhances overall life satisfaction.
Helping others makes us feel like superheroes. But right now, our community needs more of us who are willing to put on that cape consistently. Many of our neighbors are struggling — not with abstract challenges, but with access to the most basic human needs, such as food, shelter, heat, hygiene essentials, transportation and more.
Inconsistent access to food has become a major concern for a growing number of Greater Dayton residents. Food pantries run by churches, nonprofits and community centers are seeing surges in demand as more households stretch their budgets to the breaking point. The same is true for clothing closets, emergency shelters and utility-assistance programs across our region.
These organizations are being called upon to meet the needs of a rapidly increasing number of our neighbors, and they are receiving fewer dollars to support their heroic efforts.
This is where we come in.
Each of us has the capacity to make a meaningful impact. Every dollar counts. Five hundred people donating five or ten dollars each adds up quickly.
If you are unsure which organization to support directly, you could donate to The Dayton Foundation’s Basic Human Needs Fund, which strengthens and sustains the safety-net programs that keep our neighbors fed, housed, warm and supported when life becomes overwhelming.
We all have a superhero within us. Greater Dayton needs us all. Let’s step up, suit up and make the world better — one neighbor at a time.
Joshua Ward is the pastor at Omega Baptist Church.
About the Author