President’s weekend honors our first and 16^th Presidents. Why not honor them by extolling public and community service? Many we know toil in government gigs at all levels. Next time your see them or speak to them (or email or message them), just thank them. Many of them and many of you also perform some community service. Describe something better than doing giving back in that way. It makes a difference. It makes the community better. It makes life better. It makes the world better.

And the beauty of it, people can come together and do come together to make a difference; it’s where friendships get forged across political boundaries and despite divergent philosophies.

Tomorrow being Monday, Gotham invites its members to post on our Fredslist listserve about the charities and causes they support. We call it MAD Mondays. MAD = Make A Difference. Of course!

Last week’s meeting of the Services Now for Adult Persons (“SNAP” before the acronym had other worthy uses!) board which I chair, we discussed an upcoming BINGO,

March 19, organized by the staff to raise funds for our worthy agency (for info call Ariell at (718) 454-2100). And on the listserve I maintain for the New York Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias, I put our an email about three events supporting charities organized by our Humanitarian Fund: our March 22 Breakfast and the April 4 and 5 Shake-A-Cans at an East Meadow Shopping Center to raise money for our Servicepeople and Veterans Committee, and our Annual Brunch (more info here on all – scroll to the date). And in Gotham, we soon start of season of giving; and this year Gotham’s annual outing to Citifield when my Mets host Friday blogger Fred’s Yankees will also raise funds for Gotham’s Foundation. It is one of two groups I am organizing for the July 29 game. My home Knights of Pythias Lodge, FDR 613 will be across the aisle. FDR’s foundation also holds a fundraiser organized by my friend Teddy Pashko to benefit the Special Olympics, April 25.

Use the comments section to talk up charities and programs you are working on. What better way to honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.