The time is always right to do what is right

In 2009, President Obama made a plainspoken call to action in his inaugural address by appealing to the nation to take responsibility:

“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.”

When we consider the many social and environmental challenges facing humanity, we arguably have no choice but to accept Obama’s “era of responsibility.” But we’re not just entering an era of responsibility, rather we’re entering is an era of shared responsibility.

In the digital age, where news stories reach every corner of the globe instantaneously, it’s difficult for someone to claim ignorance. We’re all aware of drought and starvation in Africa, deadly riots in Syria, debt problems in Greece, and the growing hole in the ozone. We’re all stakeholders in the future of the planet, we’re all responsible, and as Obama suggests, we should all gladly seize the opportunity to do our part. We cannot rely on government or business to address these problems for us, and gone are the days of checkbook philanthropy. We’ve shared the spoils, now we must roll up our sleeves and share responsibility.

This past MLK Day, Catchafire took part in the 9th Annual MLK Serve-A-Thon organized by the NYC Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH). The Catchafire team was posted at the Caldwell Temple Soup Kitchen in the South Bronx and spent the day re-organizing their kitchen and inventory. It was an enjoyable day and we’re pleased to report that we left the kitchen and storerooms in a much tidier state then we found them!

MLK Day is often referred to as a “day on, not a day off.” Since Catchafire’s vision is to create a world where it is commonplace to serve the greater good, it was natural for us to spend the day giving back as a team. For the team at Catchafire, everyday is a day “on.”

For MLK Day, President Obama and his family participated in a community service project at the Brown Education Campus in Northeast Washington. Here he’s seen painting a MLK Jr. quote above a classroom door. The quote couldn’t be more fitting: “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Don’t wait for the next MLK Day to share responsibility. Sign up here to lend your professional skills to a good cause. Sign up before the end of January and you can also nominate your favorite organization to win $2,012 off the cost of Catchafire membership.