“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”~Mahatma Gandhi
Have you heard about Giving Tuesday?
Everyone has heard of Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season–designed to get everyone to shop in stores and malls. And of course in recent years, we’ve had Cyber Monday, the day that retailers band together and encourage you to shop online.
Well, meet Giving Tuesday–a better idea than either Black Friday or Cyber Monday….because it’s encouraging America to give back. So just like retailers and businesses have a call to action and encourage you to shop, the groups behind Giving Tuesday are putting out a call to action to encourage you to give back.
So what is Giving Tuesday? Well, it’s an idea….it’s not a charity. This will be an annual event–a day when our entire nation gives back. Dozens of groups like the 92nd Street Y, the UNFoundation, Microsofty, Groupon, Discover and City of Hope are behind the effort and you can be too.
“How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?”~Vincent van Gogh
The Giving Tuesday website has dozens of ideas of how you can get involved, either as a business or as your family. Spread the word with your family and friends, that you and your family are going to give back on Giving Tuesday. Donate to a food pantry or donate clothing to a women’s shelter. Talk to your employer about doing donation matching–even if just for one day. Then rally your coworkers to donate on that day. Have a bake sale at school or at church. Donate toys to toy drives. Find a 5k fun run or walk that benefits a charity you love and enter. Have a silent auction at work. Ask your employer to give people the day or half-day off to do a day of service. Consider taking your kids with you, as age appropriate.
But most importantly…….do something! Remember, the holidays aren’t just about giving…..they’re also about giving back.
Leave us a comment and tell us what you’re going to do for #GivingTuesday. Here is their kit, which has tons of great ideas, as does their website.
“Remember that the happiest people are not those who are getting more, but those who are giving more.” ~H. Jackson Brown Jr.
I have something very exciting to share with you. First, I want to thank you for being a reader. I have toiled away at this blog for over four years, and it’s exciting to be able to say that I have thousands of people who click to read me every month. With that has come some pretty fun stuff, but at the same time, some responsibility and some opportunities to do greater good. Since thousands of people read this every month, I have to be careful with what I put out there, right?
