Why Charity Is Important

January 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Why is charity so important? Can’t I just live my life without hurting others and be a good husband, father or son. Why should I contribute to social causes in some distant land? These are arguments given by many when they choose not to contribute to charities of any kind. The answer is that all of us have received charity of some kind to get where we are right now. Our parents have put us through school. The government may pay for your medical expenses or your education.

You may have received a scholarship for your college education. Even if you haven’t received any of these, the world you see around you was built by people with a vision to help others. Great inventors and scientists did not make revolutionary devices or develop life saving drugs purely for the money involved. Many have toiled half their lives to find a way to eradicate diseases that may have claimed our lives long before any of us got to read this article. We live on borrowed life. We stand on the efforts of generations before us. We owe it to generations yet to come. We have to pass on the favour that has been done for us.

That is one reason why charity is so important – our responsibility to our world. The other reason is something selfish in a way, the pure joy of giving. The joy of helping someone who needs a helping hand and watching that person get up from the floor because of your help. It is a selfish joy reserved for those who choose to extend a helping hand and not just walk by when they see somebody in need of one. Charity is not only something we owe to society, but something that we owe to ourselves.

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Giving Your Time to Charities

December 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Walk for Cancer - it's raining!
Image by miamism via Flickr

Just because you don’t have a lot of money, doesn’t mean that you can’t help the charities in your community. Many charities need your time just as much, if not more than, you financial donations. Giving just a few hours of your time per week can help the charity save thousands of dollars every year.

Volunteering at a Charity

Before you make a commitment to a charity, you need to make sure that you will enjoy the work that you do. If you don’t find that the work is enjoyable or rewarding, then you are not likely to continue doing it for a long period of time.

You can learn more about the volunteer opportunities that charities have by shadowing someone at the organization. When you visit the organization, you will have a chance to watch people perform the various jobs that they have available. This could be anything from preparing bingo games for a church charity to cleaning cages at an animal shelter.

Establish a Schedule

After you decide which job you would like to do, you will need to establish a schedule that is reasonable for your lifestyle. If you are retired and have enough time to work 20 hours a week, then feel free to commit yourself to this level of volunteerism. Most people, though, only have a few free hours each week. Talk to the volunteer coordinator at the charity to determine when they need your help the most. This will help you compare your schedule with the charity’s needs to make sure you are a good fit.

Unless you already have a specific service in mind, it could take a few weeks or months to find the volunteer opportunity that is right for you. There are lots of charities looking for volunteers, so feel free to take your time until you find one that is a good fit.

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Donating Birthday Gifts To Charitie

September 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine Birthday ...

With natural disasters occurring and a precarious economy, there are no shortages of charities to donate to. The trouble is, many people are financially strapped themselves and do not have the extra disposable income to make a charity donation. Although a person can donate their time to charities, donating something tangible might often be preferred. A way to donate items to charities without having to spend any money themselves, people can donate their birthday gifts to them. They need not donate all their gifts, just a few, if they so desire. There has been an increase in this type of donations with kids all across the nation.

Many children are now having birthday parties and on the party invitation, it states that all gifts will go toward a specific charity. When party guests realize that their gift will be going to a charity to help someone less fortunate than them, they are more than happy to donate. Donating their gifts gives many kids a feeling of contentment. Many children like to know that they really made a difference. Many organizations that accept birthday gifts as donations will send the child a thank-you card or nice letter that the child can save as a keepsake. In addition, they are often sent a picture of the person or people to whom their donated gifts went to.

This also gives kids something to talk about and can also create a positive buzz about the benefits of donating birthday gifts. As the buzz and the idea catches on, more and more children will feel that it’s something they would like to try as well. Perhaps not for every birthday party that they celebrate, but maybe for one. By explaining to the child that they can keep the gifts that mean the most to him and donating only those that he feels comfortable parting with, he may be more responsive to the idea.

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Charity from the Ground Floor

August 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Ground Floor
Image via Wikipedia
With so many problems in the world, and many of them being so big as to seem unconquerable, you might wonder what you can possibly do to help. For many, this sense of scale and size makes charity goals or ideals seem impossible in the sense of “how can I, a regular person, do anything that will make a difference?” This thought cannot be further from the truth, and anyone can make a difference at the ground floor of society, so to speak.
One option for charity donations or service is to look at the local level. In additional to national organizations, there are plenty of small, local groups that you can donate towards or volunteer to work with. There is no set amount to give or volunteer, do not feel like you are obligated to a certain amount, large or small. Even the smallest donation or an hour of service can make the difference in the life of someone who is disadvantaged and in need.
Also, the more you can get your family or friends involved, especially when young, the better. Always remember that your children will emulate you, and this applies just as much to charity and volunteering. If they see your own generosity, they too, will grow up wanting to give, and person by person the society will change and focus on improving the lives of others. What the most important lesson is, however, is to give for the reason of helping. Do not give to make an appearance, or to improve your resume, you should be giving help for the good reasons of helping, simple as that may sound. By starting small, both in terms of what you do and who you get involved with, you can sow seeds that, over time and through the actions of your children, will eventually lead to something major and truly change the world.
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