Charity Gives A True Sense Of Happiness

Every day people spend millions across the globe looking for happiness.  We buy movies, ornaments, books, alcohol and drugs, all in the search of happiness. It is the eternal quest for joy that drives the world forward. We buy and buy but we are never satisfied. It seems all the pleasures of the world, all the luxuries and all the comforts can’t satisfy our craving for more. Why is this? The reason is that most people are doing the exact opposite of what they should be doing to get true joy.

They spend more and more, in the hope that they can exchange the cash in their hand for happiness. They never realize that they can’t do that. The only real joy is in the joy of giving. Instead of using money for buying things, try giving it to someone who needs it to buy food or provide a roof over his or her children’s heads. That is true happiness. The feeling you get when you see someone else happy because of your help, that is the only kind of happiness that anyone can ever hope to have on this earth.

It is the same joy a mother has when she sees the child she raised reach great heights, it is the same joy a teacher has when he sees his student become someone greater than himself. That is the joy of giving. That is why charities are so important not only to the people receiving it, but to those who give it. It provides a helping hand to a desperate person who has no other hope and provides satisfaction that cannot be matched by any worldly pleasure to the person giving it.

Giving to a charitable cause gives you a true sense of happiness that stays in your heart even if your wallet is a little lighter.

Filed Under: Charities, News Tagged With: , , , ,

Doing Well By Doing Good

For a long time, charity and philanthropy have been considered to be something you do out of the goodness of your heart alone and that it is not supposed to increase the revenues of your business in any way. In fact many people would still find this concept sacrilegious. Social service is something you do purely for the benefit of society right?

How can you expect to benefit from it? Isn’t that against the basic idea of charity? If you think about it, there is no contradiction. You have to think about the purpose of all charity’s and social service initiatives. If it is to help someone, isn’t the best way to do it a way in which you can keep doing it again and again? In short, we are talking about the sustainability of the charity. A service organization may survive purely on donations from well meaning contributors but how long can they sustain the effort? What if some of the main contributors go bankrupt or just decide to pull out? Whether an organization’s aim is to make profit or not has to learn to sustain itself. Only then can it survive and flourish.

This is why companies which are socially responsible preach the slogan “Do well by doing good”. Companies such as microfinance companies aim to build a workable business model around servicing the poor. There is no contradiction as the aim of helping the needy is met. If the organization can do well out of doing this good deed, not only will that organization flourish, others will also be attracted to be socially useful projects. The whole idea is to tell businessmen and normal people that you can contribute to a good cause without being a saint. This seems to be a more practical approach to philanthropy.

Filed Under: General Tagged With:

Giving Your Time to Charities

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.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Charities, Charity Scams, Donations, General Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Giving to Your Community is a Great Way to Help Yourself, Too

Many people don’t give to their community because they either don’t think they have anything to give or they’re worried about getting scammed. The idea that people might cheat them is what keeps a lot of people from doing things that would help other people out. You don’t have to stay away from helping others, though. You can still do things that other people will appreciate, and find ways to do it safely. One of the best ways to be sure that you aren’t being scammed is to volunteer your time. That way, you aren’t giving anyone any money that could be misused.

When you give your time instead of your money, you can do so many different things. Why not teach a class so people can be better informed about classic auto insurance, financial topics, or going back to school? You could also help out in a soup kitchen, or work with underprivileged children. The choices are virtually endless, and when you give you also get something back. People who help other people tend to feel better about themselves. It’s a great way to gain self-esteem and see what’s most important. Material things matter, but what you do for others is often more significant and will be appreciated for much longer.

If you’re not sure how to volunteer your time or who will need your help, start checking around. There are certainly charities in your area. If you check with them, they’ll probably have options for you. If they don’t actually need anyone to help out in their organization, they might also be able to put you in touch with an organization that will be able to use you. Don’t let your valuable talents and your compassion for others go to waste. Getting out there and helping your community can make other people (and you) feel really good about life.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Animals, Donations, General Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »