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Spreading Goodwill Throughout the Year
December 23, 2004
Contact: Christine Shott: (202) 224-0610
Spreading Goodwill Throughout the Year
by Senator Rick Santorum
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”
These words spoken by our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge, no doubt ring true today. The holiday season, although stressful at times, is a joyous time of year. It is a time of giving and helping those less fortunate. As we usher in the New Year, the goodwill that we show to our neighbors should not be boxed-up with our holiday decorations, but should remain a fixture on our mantel throughout the year.
The spirit of goodwill is the friendly hope that something will succeed. It is exemplified by a donation to a local charity hoping that someone’s life will be touched or by a pat on the back before the big game or by simply saying thank you to someone. We show our coworkers, neighbors, friends, and family goodwill through acts of kindness and compassion.
Surprisingly it is not Christmas or New Years, but our culture of charity and goodwill, and the history of neighbors helping neighbors, that is the most fundamental tradition particular to the American way of life. We have wonderful community organizations in Pennsylvania that are ready, able, and willing to lend a hand to people in need in their neighborhoods. Every day, faith-based, nonprofit and volunteer groups in Pennsylvania work hard to reweave the social fabric of neighborhoods devastated by poverty, drug addiction, and hopelessness.
Pennsylvania is full of hardworking individuals and organizations that are crucial to our communities. As your United States Senator, it is my job to help strengthen our communities in the hopes of spreading goodwill throughout the Commonwealth. My legislative career has been guided by the belief that it is my responsibility as a public servant to embrace initiatives that will improve the lives of families and the needy in our communities and to provide more incentives for these community organizations
Based on three concepts -- giving, saving, and fairness – I sponsored the CARE Act which provides incentives for charitable giving, opportunities for low-income families to build their individual assets, and equity between faith-based and secular organizations as they provide charitable social services. I remain committed to promoting increased opportunities for the less fortunate to obtain help through faith-based and community organizations, and to working to ensure that Congress passes the CARE Act when we return in January.
A wonderful event that inspires us to give back to our communities, First Night, is celebrated on New Year’s Eve throughout Pennsylvania in towns such as Scranton, Pittsburgh, Bethlehem, Doylestown, and State College. It is an evening that brings together businesses and residents to celebrate their community’s heritage and cultural diversity through art and music. As we participate in events our community’s have to offer this holiday season, may we remember Calvin Coolidge’s words of peace and goodwill.
What makes Pennsylvania a strong, proud state is the ability of its citizens to share with their neighbors, to exhibit compassion towards those who suffer, and to offer a hand in lifting up their fellow Americans. With a few government initiatives and the blessings of the New Year, we can inspire a culture where the spirit of goodwill thrives and manifests itself more often throughout the year.
I wish you all a safe and joyful holiday season!
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