These are kids seeking to gain life-changing experience through attending camps, sporting tournaments, participating in training programs, assisting the sick or elderly and doing search and rescue, just to name a few.

You have seen them — they want to wash your car or they have put coupons on products at the grocery store or they are selling candy bars and subscriptions to magazines. They are not asking for handouts, they are willing to work for what they want.

The leadership of these organizations, as well as the parents, are teaching these kids that if they work hard enough they can earn what they want.

I have recently been involved in a number of community fund-raising events for my daughter’s organization, and I am totally disappointed with the way the community responds to these kids.

I have watched elementary and junior high aged girls wash a huge pickup truck and horse trailer that was covered in mud only to be given $2. Cases like this were more common than not.  

A local grocery store offers a wonderful program that our organization was recently privileged to take advantage of. Our kids spent countless hours of their summer vacation cutting thousands of grocery coupons, organizing them, and putting them on items at the store.

Upon checkout, the shopper was asked if they would like to use the coupon or donate it. To those of you who donated: We say a huge thank you.

To those of you who kept the money for yourselves: Shame on you. Those coupons do not belong to you and you are taking money away from children who have worked really hard to earn it.

I would like to encourage our community to take a second thought when given the opportunity to support our local youth. They are our future and when you take advantage of them, that is exactly what they will learn.