Black Lives Matter.
We are at a crossroads in American history. We can choose to ignore the pleas from our BIPOC brothers and sisters or get involved. We here at Bliss Auctions feel that it is necessary to get involved. We have seen through the work that we do with nonprofits and schools that a diverse group of people makes an amazing and powerful force. When communities unite, we are safer, smarter and have more opportunities to advance. When communities feel safe, they thrive.
We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. We consider ourselves lucky to live in the greatest country on Earth, a country that has the capability to provide opportunity and safety to all of its citizens. But there is still a lot of work to do to achieve America’s potential, to dismantle systemic racism. While we are still pushing towards those larger goals of equitable opportunities for all, we can, and must, do better in our own local communities. It is with this in mind that we are creating the Bliss Action Fund. With the Action Fund, we want to reinvest in our communities with programs meant to enrich youth, give people opportunities and make people proud of their neighborhood. Twice a year, we will divest those funds to local, national or international charities, where the most good can be done. These donations from Bliss will be separate from the personal donations we each make throughout the year. And while we personally believe that anonymous giving is the purest kind of giving, we also can’t ignore the mountain of experience we’ve acquired encouraging contagious giving at our fundraising events. For that reason, to inspire others to give and to amplify other voices, we’ll make a small post announcing our semi-annual Action Fund donations when they happen.
Mostly though, we want to remind you that anyone can be a hero. From small acts to grand ones, every thoughtful interaction has an effect on those around you. There are many ways to get involved in your local community. One of the easiest methods is to just offer help around your neighborhood. Your skill at bike repair, BBQ recipes or computer knowledge is useful and appreciated. If you bought a ton of canned goods that you don’t really need, local food pantries are very appreciative of donations. Living in a larger city might mean there’s a maker space located close by- in these spaces you can help mentor everyone from children to adults to develop creative skills, and then share those skills with each other. Everyone has something they can offer, whether they realize it or not. Find a group where people are offering their help to get an idea of what you can offer. Co-founder Ruth suggests a local Time Bank, or a Buy Nothing Project group, which you can find on Facebook.
We would like to end this post with a quote by Fred Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” We grew up with Mr. Rogers’s reassurances and his consistent message of love and acceptance. It’s time for us to complete the cycle and be the helpers.
