Kaiser Permanente Employee Remembers the Benefits of Charity and Social Services

Driving home to Santa Clarita during the recent fires, I heard an update of the situation on the radio that reminded me of a childhood experience. The update described how the Red Cross and Salvation Army were setting up evacuation assistance and shelters for fire victims and evacuees.

When I was twelve and living in an apartment building in Colchester, England, we were rudely awakened in the middle of the night to frantic pounding on our door. The building was entrenched in flames and it only took minutes before we lost everything we owned, including my pet tortoise and my first school uniform, of which I was very proud.

Even though we were a military family with access to emergency shelter, it was the Salvation Army that came to our rescue by opening their thrift store for clothing and basic home needs. To this day, the compassion and kindness shown during that critical incident is remembered each year as I make my donation choices.

I hope you will also remember a reason to give, either from personal experience or that of family and friends during this cycle of the Kaiser Permanente Community Giving Campaign. Even if you don’t have a personal experience from which to draw, a few minutes listening to the news will no doubt prompt you to donate to a good cause.

Using the kpcgc.org site could not be easier—even the smallest donation from each paycheck adds up, and will soon be forgotten until you receive your W2 at the end of the year. I encourage you to visit Web site, open your heart, and contribute funds that will help those in need of a little kindness and support.

David Brook is the administrative leader for Permanente Human Resources, Southern California Permanente Medical Group. The father of two children, David is active with the Boy Scouts of America and sits on the National Board of Directors for Community Health Charities.