Five years ago at my 50th high school reunion in Wilmington, Delaware, I happened to be chatting with my old (Oops, I should say “former”) girlfriend. We got to talking politics, always dangerous in such settings, and she mentioned that she was a Republican. “Why are you a Republican?” I asked innocently. “ Because I made my money, and I want to keep it,” she said. Our conversation ended rather abruptly, and I headed off to talk with some other “old” friends.

Her response troubled me on two levels. First, I have many dear Republican friends who are incredibly generous with their money. Being Republican does not translate into being selfish, although some of my progressive friends might disagree. Second, I simply don’t understand people — from any political party or religious denomination — who subscribe to the notion, “I got mine. Now you get yours and leave me alone.” I daresay that Jesus wouldn’t take that stance either. (Matthew 25-36: “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”)

Let’s talk about giving. An article in the Atlantic (March 20, 2013) featured the title, “ Why the Rich Don’t Give to Charity” and the subhead, “The wealthiest Americans donate 1.3 percent of their income, the poorest, 3.2 percent. What’s up with that?”

Granted, many wealthy Americans give very generously to charitable organizations, primarily educational institutions, prestigious museums and medical centers. Many of those gifts get their names in the limelight and on buildings. That’s fine, whatever it takes, three cheers for them.

I’m especially impressed by wealthy Americans who give to causes that are less glamorous, less visible. Here are two examples:

William Louis-Dreyfus, the former chairman of Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V., one of the largest family businesses, is selling off his massive art collection so he can donate the proceeds (estimated value of $10 million to $50 million) to the Harlem Children’s Zone.

“The Harlem Children’s Zone, according to the website, has always been driven by the belief that the success of our children and the strength of the community go hand in hand. Their needs are inseparable and must be addressed together in order to break the cycle of generational poverty and give our kids a real shot at the American dream.”

Now that’s a gift!

And here’s another example. According to an article in The New York Times, “An actor and stage manager turned Episcopal monk who pledged last year to give away much of his $153 million Powerball jackpot to support the performing arts has made his first gift.” The article explains that the gift will fund a 5-hour artistic production put on by the Goodman Theater in Chicago. The gift was characterized in “high six or low seven figures.”

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, boosted by the huge support of investor Warren Buffet, has contributed billions to projects related to education and health care around the world.

These big picture givers with big hearts might share my distaste for the, “I made my money…” mentality.

And that brings up the question of food stamps. Many Americans seem to believe that the nation’s budget problems could be fixed if we cut the food stamp program. (“ Why should my hard-earned tax dollars go to support all those lazy people?” the reasoning runs.)

Some facts bear mention. The SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) cost $ 74 billion in 2014, about 2 percent of the Federal Budget. Social Security, by contrast, accounted for 24 percent, Medicare and Medicaid accounted for another 24 percent, and defense accounted for 18 percent. That year, 46 million Americans benefitted from SNAP programs.

I’m sure that fraud and waste exist in SNAP, just as they do in Social Security, Medicare/ Medicaid and defense. But many politicians have preached, and I use that word advisedly, the need to cut the food stamp program, even as they’ve ignored fraud and waste issues related to Social Security, Medicare and the military.

Giving is, of course, a highly personal matter. As a sage once said, “You can’t look inside someone else’s pocketbook.” But as I get farther along on life’s path, I find myself drawn to the people who live by the credo, “I’ve got mine; now, how can I help you?”

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David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary as well as suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. He can be reached at dtreadw575@aol.com.