Giving

As a child my parents taught me that there was more happiness in giving than in receiving.  That's probably in the Bible somewhere.  Since I grew up in a very modest household it was probably very convenient for my parents to tell me that, as I remember wanting a lot but not getting a lot because we 'couldn't afford it'. 

But as I matured I definitely understood that what you 'get' from giving to others is happiness and joy.  When you give to others (your time, your money, yourself) you make a difference in someone's life and that makes the recipient happy AND it makes you happy.  Its a win-win situation!

Yesterday Spouse & I did some charity shopping.  My company supplied its employees with a 'wish list' from Ronald McDonald House of DE so we used that to inform our purchases and then dropped them off at my office.  Next we went to the grocery store and purchased shelf-stable foods (canned and dry goods) and dropped those off at a local food bank drop-off location.  It was actually quite enjoyable to do this together, and knowing that these things will have a real impact on people gave us genuine happiness and joy.

Over the years I have volunteered for and raised money for AIDS research and treatment, battered women's shelter, cancer and stroke research, Habitat for Humanity, and local food banks.  I say this not to 'toot my own horn', but rather to show examples of how anyone can make a difference in other peoples' lives and receive a feeling of happiness at the same time. 

Literally anyone can participate in 1 or more ways:

• Give of yourself - volunteer in person at a soup kitchen, food bank pantry, Habitat for Humanity build site, hospice, SPCA, or meal delivery service
• Encourage others - host a fundraiser and invite your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to donate and/or volunteer, or get them to pledge for you to run a 5K race
• Support local drives - pick up non-perishable food items, household items, or toys and drop them off at Thanksgiving or Christmas drop-off point
• Give money - send checks to worthy charities 

When giving financial donations be sure to research how much of your dollars actually goes to the cause and how much goes to executive salaries and administrative costs.  Check this site to know which charities are highly-rated and have lower paid CEOs and which charities have highly-paid CEOs but are low rate charities.  Sadly there are some charities and scams you'll probably want to avoid.  Local giving can be often be more effective.

Another benefit of in-person volunteering is that you will likely meet other like-minded people.  This has certainly been the case for me.  I've met lots of sincere and fun friends while volunteering.

I encourage everyone to commit to giving, not just at the holidays, but all year 'round.  You'll be amazed at how good it feels to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

"If I had a hammer...

...I'd hammer in the mornin." And hammer I did!!

Yesterday I volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity homesite. My job was to hammer 4' x 8' sheets of styrofoam insulation board to the exterior of a 2-story duplex. So I did a LOT of hammering. It was hard work but a lot of fun too.

The weather was great; in the low 80s and sunny. I worked in the shade for 1/2 the day, which was nice.

Surprisingly I was the only 1st time volunteer at the site. The other 7 volunteers seemed to be 'regulars' who have worked on several HFH sites over the last year or so. By looking at them they appear to be retired. I really admire these men for spending a day every week doing this kind of volunteer work.

A great thing about volunteering for HFH is that you don't have to have construction skills or experience. The site coordinator or other volunteers will teach you how to do the work. They were also adequately concerned with safety and volunteers' comfort. Since shingling the roof was also on the day's agenda, I was asked how I felt about heights. I responded that I wasn't afraid of heights, but was afraid of falling. So I was not selected to shingle the roof, but I did have to climb a ladder and skaffolding several times to nail the insulation board to the upper section of the house. I felt uneasy when I had to lean off the side of the ladder, but also felt like my discomfort was for a good purpose. I was doing something that contributed to a new, modest home for someone needy.

I encourage everyone to consider spending a day volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. You'll be glad you did.

Crush du Jour: Roger Paiva