There's only a week left in 2021, and there's no better way to end the year than by giving back. I know the holiday season can be busy, but I encourage you to make time to volunteer or donate before the year is up.
This year during the holidays, Carolina Trust partnered with the Horry County Sheriff's Office and King One Properties International to assist Fred Nesta's Angel Tree Program. As part of our partnership, we accepted toy donations for the program at our 21st Avenue branch. We also donated gift cards, which will be given to older children and used to purchase gifts on children's wish lists this year. Additionally, Carolina Trust made donations to the Brunswick Family Assistance and Harvest Hope Food Bank.
Check out the BALANCE blog below for ways to volunteer or donate to make a difference in the lives of people experiencing hardships.
Volunteering or donating has a positive effect on your psyche. There’s definitely a feel-good moment connected to giving—whether it’s monetary donations or volunteer hours. The fact is, giving to others physically gives us pleasure and makes us happier.
Studies consistently show there is a physiological reason we feel good with acts of charity. It’s known as our pleasure and reward response, which is triggered by brain chemistry that recognizes rewarding stimuli. Researchers refer to this as the “helper’s high” and “giver’s glow.” One study even found that when you make a charitable donation, your brain acts in a similar way to when you eat chocolate. (Source: greatergood.berkeley.edu)
Are you more likely to give away your time or your money? Are you an advocate like Bono of U2, or a philanthropist like Bill Gates? An influencer like Oprah, or an aid worker like Mother Theresa? This is the time of year when a bit of introspection can help guide you in how you can approach the giving season.
A simple answer to the question posed above might be that when you have the money and not the time, you donate, and when you have the time and not much money, you choose to volunteer.
Volunteering
Volunteering offers a unique set of opportunities to those who welcome it. Some questions you might ask before volunteering include:
Donating
There are more than 1.5 million nonprofits operating in the U.S., according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics. With such a crowded marketplace, how do you choose which one(s) to give to? Knowing what you are passionate about is a good place to start. When you’ve narrowed down your list, learn more about each candidate by asking these questions:
People are more open-hearted now than in any other time of the year–30% of all donations occur in the month of December. #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. This year it will be celebrated on Tuesday, December 3, following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Last year, $380 million dollars was raised on Giving Tuesday (up 38% from 2017). The online average gift amounts exceeded $134.
If your budget won’t allow monetary donations, consider giving your time. Many charitable organizations survive through the efforts of volunteers. Some need more volunteers than normal during the holidays to help cook or serve the holiday meal, or to gather goods collected from holiday food drives.
You can always try one of the more traditional methods of giving as well: