Keller @ Large: One Fund Helping Survivors Heal

BOSTON (CBS) - Want a feel-good story to lift your spirits amid the wretched traffic, global savagery, and assorted other bad news?

Consider the saga of the One Fund, the charity set up after the marathon bombings to aid those damaged by that vicious crime.

Tuesday, the One Fund announced distribution of a final installment of $18.5 million to over 200 of the wounded and relatives of those killed. That raises the amount donated in cash, services and programs to over $80 million, made possible, they report, by "donations from more than 200,000 individuals, corporations and charitable foundations across all 50 states and more than 60 countries."

Considering how quickly the One Fund came together, just weeks after the attacks, and how smoothly it has functioned, with just a handful of efforts to defraud it by low-lifes, this charity stands as a testament to the goodness and generosity of mankind.

Then-Mayor Tom Menino said at the time the One Fund was formed that he had "never seen the business community come together so quickly," and they were matched by the spontaneous outpouring of support from all walks of life.

Charity can't heal everyone who receives it. The morally bankrupt Tsarnaev family were beneficiaries of multiple forms of social aid, and it didn't stop their descent into a den of thieves, liars and mass murderers.

But the millions raised by the One Fund will go a long way toward helping the victims heal.

And through its success, those of us who gave can find healing and redemption as well, in the realization that while evil can hurt us, it can never triumph over good.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

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