On April 12, I received one of those calls that any parent would dread to receive. It was our oldest son Jeff telling us that there was a fire in their home. He was enroute from his job in Philadelphia to his home in Cherry Hill, N. J. He thought that it was bad, but would call back.

His next call confirmed the worst. Between fire, smoke and water they had lost everything but the clothes they were wearing. Our daughter-in-law and two young grandchildren had been at work and school and were safe. Glacier their lovable Siberian Husky died from the heavy smoke before the firefighters could reach him.

Although the adage that possessions can always be replaced but human lives cannot holds true, the trauma of such an unexpected loss especially for young children can be overwhelming. If this fire had happened here in Cayuga County there would be no question in my mind what would have happened. Not only an outpouring of help from individuals in the community but the services of any number of United Way Agencies from the Red Cross to Cayuga Counseling Services and others.

Being an upstate New Yorker all my life I wasn't so sure about this bedroom community to Philadelphia. But, in the days and weeks that followed the outpouring of support was humbling. Their church, St. Thomas More, took up a special second collection at all the Masses and later hosted a benefit concert for their family. The local rabbi brought a gift from their Temple. Sharp Elementary School had a computer to replace the one they had lost; the baseball team had a new uniform and ball glove waiting for our grandson at his next game. Friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and complete strangers came out of the woodwork to help.

What a great feeling to know that so many cared. Where do caring people like this come from? Families, church, school and organizations like Scouting help to nurture young people and instill in them values that they will carry throughout their lives. Parents who are bringing their sons to join Scouting this fall should know that Cub Scouting has 12 core values that are woven into its program that include: citizenship, compassion, cooperation, courage, faith, health and fitness, honesty, perseverance, positive attitude, resourcefulness, respect and responsibility.

The longer a boy stays in Scouting the greater the impact it will have on his life. Where do these caring organizations come from? They come about because of these same caring people who join together to form a Human Services Network in communities like ours. They are sustained in great part from the community support of the United Way of Cayuga County.

When we sit down and watch the evening news and see stories of the fires and floods, auto accidents and people who don't have enough food to eat, those who have substance abuse issues and children with learning disabilities, we sometimes think of these occurrences as things that happen to other people. But the fact of the matter is that no one is immune, and all of us, at one time or another, will need and receive help from a local Human Service Agency - from day care services at Neighborhood House to Hospice of the Fingerlakes, to the YMCA keeping us healthy and fit in between. All 21 United Way agencies are here and ready 24/7 to help whenever they are needed.

So remember that when you contribute to this fall's campaign you are also supporting local Scouting. If your family missed one of this month's “School Night to Join Scouting” programs, it's still not too late for your son to join. Call 252-9579 to learn more.

Don Grillo is the Scout executive for the Cayuga County Council, Boy Scouts of America.