In case you haven’t noticed, the holidays are upon us. Many reminders crept up before Halloween, but after that day the ads, music and decorations really started to pound our senses.
Thanksgiving has come and gone. Now, Christmas hurtles ever closer, with most of us caught up in the annual frenzy of shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating and, of course, searching for last-minute deals at area businesses or online.
But the holiday season doesn’t just bring out shoppers and celebrations. This is the season when many charitable organizations collect the majority of their donations. The holiday season is crucial for groups like The Salvation Army, the United Way, food banks and other charities and foundations.
But why is it that this holiday season brings out people’s generosity? While there are those who donate their time and money to help charities all year long, Christmas is the time when the occasional giver opens up his or her wallet to lend a hand to others. It could be that the spirit of giving overtakes us, or perhaps we feel a certain amount of peer pressure to donate at this time. Or maybe it’s the charities themselves that help us along by providing a little extra nudge. It’s likely a combination of all of the above.
Charities know that this is the most important time of the year and need to bring in as many donations as possible to serve an ever-growing need. They will advertise and promote their campaigns harder than ever — and so they should. Giving shouldn’t be something you do once a year. You have to wonder how many more people could be helped if we gave this way all year long.
There are many ways to help through local churches, schools, charities and civic organizations that lead drives during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
This season, take a few moments to figure out how you could help and resolve to do it. It’s never too late to give.