DECEMBER 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 41
GIVE MORE
‘TIS THE SEASON
The holiday season is a time of giving.
The generosity on display this time of
year may not have an offi cial start date,
but the fi rst Tuesday aft er Thanksgiving
Day may be the unoffi cial beginning
of the giving season.
The fi rst Tuesday following American
Thanksgiving has been referred to
as “Giving Tuesday” since 2012. The
event was started by the 92nd Street
Y in New York City, the United Nations
Foundation, and the technology website
Mashable, as a response to the commercialization
of the holiday season
and the rampant consumerism that
seems to start as soon as the last bite
of turkey is digested. Today, Giving
Tuesday harnesses the generosity of
millions of people around the world
and helps millions of dollars fi nd their
way into the coff ers of organizations
that need them most. Giving Tuesday
inspires people to volunteer or give
back to causes that are near and dear
to their hearts.
Thanks to technology, giving has the
capacity to go viral and inspire others
to engage in their own charitable eff orts.
Since its inception, Giving Tuesday has
evolved. The event now underscores
how communities can harness the
power of people working together to
elicit great change.
Even though Giving Tuesday may be the
catalyst for charitable eff orts, it doesn’t
need to end there. People are urged to
be generous all year long, including
throughout the holiday season. Here
are some seasonally specifi c ways to
give back a little more.
Pay it forward by treating someone
behind you in the checkout line to coffee,
fast food, a candy bar, or whatever
else suits you at the time. Perhaps he
or she will do the same and keep the
generosity going.
Keep extra dollars in your pocket
and be generous to charities seeking
donations outside stores. A cup of coff ee
or hot chocolate goes a long way toward
warming up the people manning the
collection pots as well.
Adopt a family that is less fortunate
and purchase some gifts on their
wish list. Many community centers
and churches have contacts for needy
families who could use some support
this season.
Giving can be the focus of the holiday
season, in ways that are meaningful to
the people on the receiving end of the
generosity.
-Metro Creative Connection
THE GIVING ISSUE
Here are some seasonally specific ways to give back a little more.
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