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Eating. Shopping. Taking a well deserved break. These are some of the most popular activities this time of year, as people celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving and participate in newer commercial traditions like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
For many people, however, this can be a more challenging time. It can be a time of struggling to make ends meet heading into another winter, of worrying about how to keep the heat on or keep families fed. It can also be a make-or-break time of tight budgets for nonprofits and other organizations that help support those people going through difficult circumstances.
So it is very fitting that, in addition to the time spent with family and money spent on good deals, people are also spending this Tuesday focusing on ways to give back. For over a decade, Giving Tuesday has become part of the tradition for many at this time of year. It is an important addition that stresses not just giving thanks, but giving financial support. Not just shopping, but sharing. Not just finding good deals online, but spreading goodwill close to home.
An organization called GivingTuesday leads the way in galvanizing support for this day of giving, and in tracking its impact over time. But people don’t have to join in that organization’s specific efforts in order to join in the spirit of the day. As GivingTuesday’s website notes, there are many different ways to participate in this now-global movement.
“Whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or finding virtual volunteer opportunities with their favorite causes — everyone has something to give and every act of generosity counts,” the organization says online.
There is great opportunity, and need, for people to share in these acts of generosity here in Maine. Pick any nonprofit around the state, doing any type of work, and they probably could use help with donations or with volunteers. So if you’re able to spare some money or time, think about what efforts are nearest and dearest to your heart, and take action with your wallet or with your presence.
Donations and volunteerism help power so many valuable efforts in our community, from nonprofits that fight food insecurity, to local hospitals delivering care, to regional hubs of community action like United Ways and CAPs. Even local news organizations, like ours, are turning to donations to help power their civic mission.
There is no right way or wrong way to give on Giving Tuesday, except to give. And the need for this giving transcends any one day. This valuable initiative happens to fall on Dec. 3 this year, but for those with the time and resources to help others, it is a spirit that should radiate throughout the year.
