Sunday, January 18, 2009 | Opinion, "Stop the Presses"
SP Who's your hero?

Stop the Presses

By Kevin Forest Moreau

As millions of Americans look with pride and hope toward Washington, D.C., and Barack Obama’s historic inauguration, their hearts are heavy with anxiety about what some pundits are calling the Great Recession. And as we celebrate the achievements of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, we’re surrounded by constant reminders that his message of helping the less fortunate among us remains as timely as ever.

Last month, more than 128,000 Georgians filed for first-time unemployment, and our jobless rate skyrocketed to a 134 percent increase over December 2007. As we’ve reported all too often in The Sunday Paper recently, the plunging economy creates a kind of perfect storm for local charitable organizations. As more of us lose our jobs or otherwise find ourselves in need of a helping hand, the number of helping hands dwindles.

And if our ability to reach out to our struggling brothers and sisters is diminished now, with a holiday that emphasizes volunteerism looming in front of us and another that preaches giving and goodwill still fresh in our rearview mirror, you can imagine how grim things must be the rest of the year.

Too many of us, myself included, congratulate ourselves on the generosity we exhibit during the holidays, and then consider ourselves off the hook for the next 11 months. Sure, we might stop to offer assistance to someone involved in an auto accident, or let the supermarket checkout clerk add a dollar or two to our total to help feed some faceless family.

But in terms of real charitable giving—contributing to a worthy cause, volunteering our time, simply taking a panhandler's tale of woe at face value and digging into our pockets—we just disengage. Hey, we’ve done our part. We’ve got our own mouths to feed, our own problems to worry about.

And besides, are we really helping anyone? That guy at the gas station with the sob story about the daughter in the hospital will probably take my two bucks and buy himself a beer. And how do we know the money we give to that nonprofit won’t end up in some volunteer’s pocket or some CEO’s secret bank account? It’s a tough world out there, but a guy’s got to look out for No. 1, you know?

Except I don’t think it’s that simple. I know that all of us aren’t that quick to turn our backs on our fellow man. Several years ago, I dated an amazing woman with a boundless heart. She was self-employed, going through a rough patch business-wise, and didn’t have a ton of money, on top of dealing with an emotionally draining family illness. In short, she had plenty on her plate. But she always kept some money tucked in her car’s sun visor for hard-luck cases, and was always the first to jump to someone else’s side with a ride, a meal, a loan, whatever. Her story wasn’t unique, except that it was—to me. She inspired me to be more open in my own life, to not reflexively and distrustfully shrink away from a stranger’s request for help, to view volunteering my precious free time not as a burden but as an opportunity. I’ll never be mistaken for a saint, but I like to think I’m a better person because of her example.

I know that there are others out there like her: everyday people who give of themselves above and beyond our expectations. And I’d like to honor some of them. So I’m asking you to nominate someone you know for The Sunday Paper’s inaugural Unsung Heroes Award.

Do you know a busy professional who coaches disadvantaged kids in his spare time? A schoolteacher who heads up a donation drive for the homeless? A policeman, accountant or nail technician who opens up their home to victims of crime, fire or natural disaster? A struggling waitress who buys supplies or food for a disabled stranger? A neighbor who champions an unheralded, underfunded cause at his own expense?

That’s who we’re looking for: someone who goes out of his or her way, especially in these challenging times, to help others beyond the call of duty or the parameters of their job description. Send me your suggestions, including the person’s name, age, occupation and why you think they deserve wider recognition, at kevinmoreau@sundaypaper.com between now and Friday, Feb. 27. We’ll comb through your nominations and spotlight five Unsung Heroes in a special cover story in late March.

Until then, be your own inspiration. SP

Kevin Forest Moreau is editor in chief of The Sunday Paper.