'Tis The Season Of Giving!

Ideally, there doesn't have to be a season of giving. Everyone and anyone can and should try their best to donate their money, time, knowledge, skills to underprivileged any time of day, week, month and year. But surveys and studies show that Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season really brings out the best in people - at least here in US. The average American household donates 2.2% of its income each year, or roughly $1,000. How much do you ? Forget 1% or 0.1%, even if we donate 0.01% of our income annually, I'm sure this world will be much better place ..

With mere USD 30/- donation, in underprivileged parts of the world, a mother and child can get education for a month, or, a person can see this world through cataract surgery, or, some elderly person will get a shelter to live in, or, some foster kids can get food and healthcare for a month ..

Charitable donations are a direct reflection of my values and perspectives. Whenever I donate money, I’m contributing it towards something that Ifeel has importance. If I want to see food available to homeless people in my community, I can donate to the local food pantry or soup kitchen. If I want to fight global warming, there are plenty of organizations that are fighting for such change. The real question is whether you have found something with enough importance to you to speak out with your pocketbook.

Helping others improves your self worth in many ways. Once you’ve given something to a charity that you truly believe in, you feel good about it. The money in your pocket went towards a cause beyond what you can manage in your daily life, a cause that combined with the similar actions of others can actually bring about change in the world. That’s not something you can get from buying yourself a flat panel television.

I don’t think, like many do, that whether or not you tithe or give to charity is a sign of whether you’re a good person or not. I know some very wonderful people who don’t give to charities and I also know some people who give to charities that people wouldn’t trust their child around. A person should only give to a charity if they truly feel it is the right thing to do with their money – if it doesn’t feel right, don’t donate.

The charities I usually donate to (because I believe in the work they do and I want to help as much as I can) are -
* Sankara Eye Foundation
* India Literacy Project
* ASHA Foundation
* CRY
* VIBHA
* WHFC (Wide Horizons For Children)
* Help Age India

Even if you don’t donate any of your income to charity right now or you don’t see the purpose, don’t close your mind or your heart to the idea. When the right reason comes to you, open up your wallet and see what happens ..