The Importance of Giving
As we approach the holiday season, we begin to focus more on what we are grateful for. If we have an abundance to share, consider donating to a charity during this season. Spreading love and generosity goes a long way in supporting not only your local community but the world.
Overall giving actually increased by 9% in 2021, an amazing feat considering the pandemic occurred the year before. In fact, individuals make a huge difference when it comes to charitable giving. Individuals accounted for approximately 69% in charitable contributions in 2020 alone, whereas corporations accounted for only about 4%.
But, every dollar counts, no matter how small the donation! Locally, when it comes to charitable giving the top state in the country was New York!
What Challenges Can Be Improved with Charitable Donations?
So, what difference does giving make? What problems can be alleviated with your donation? On Long Island we face a general problem of families in need. Approximately 283,700 people suffer from hunger on Long Island throughout the year. In fact, 182,000 people will go hungry on Long Island tonight! What’s worse, 39 percent of those affected by hunger on the island are children. Donations to local food banks not just at the holidays but year-round can help these families stay afloat.
Childhood cancer is another problem we can work towards solving with charitable giving. Each year globally, an estimated 400,000 children and teens will develop cancer. Locally in Nassau and Suffolk counties the average annual cases of childhood cancer between 2015-2019 were 76.8 and 88.4 cases respectively. Not only does your charity go towards cancer research but giving to organizations like Jacie’s Kids ensures families of these children are supported directly as well.
How Can You Help?
Armed with this knowledge and feeling empowered? Consider making a donation to a local charity today!
November is home to Giving Tuesday, a day where hundreds of millions of people come together to raise money for charities. In 2020 $2.47 billion was raised on GivingTuesday.
Make donating a holiday affair! Consider giving to a local toy drive. Each year Toys for Tots distributes 16.8 million toys and books to 7 million children and teens in need. Toy drives are a great way to get the whole family involved in giving. Bring the family shopping and take advantage of seasonal sales to purchase new unwrapped toys for a local drive. Remember to keep in mind the diversity of the families in your area and choose toys that reflect different cultures. No need to spend a ton of money, aim to spend between $15 and $30 per high quality toy. Also, consider purchasing toys for teens and toddlers as these groups often go overlooked.
Feeling inspired to find a local toy drive? Jacie’s Kids is hosting several networking/charity luncheons where they are hosting toy drives on Nov 17th, Dec 2nd and Dec 6th. Check out www.jacieskids.org and their events page for more event details!
Follow Jacie’s Kids on Facebook for information on local fundraising events coming up on Long Island. And remember, donating any amount goes a long way in helping fund cancer research.
Please share this blog and if you feel like giving, we’d love to speak to you about how you can invest some time, talents or a donation to help our organization at JaciesKids.org.
When you do, it means the world to “our” kids and their families! Thank you all!
For more information about Jacie’s Kids, or to speak to our team about opportunities within the organization, contact us at info@jacieskids.org or call Beatrice Haas at 516-242-1564.
Sources for more information: https://kindnessfp.com/charitable-giving-statistics/ https://www.vancomm.com/2015/11/25/donating-toys-for-the-holidays-maximizing-your-impact/ https://www.communitysolidarity.org/10-facts-about-hunger-on-Long-Island https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/cancer/registry/table7/countykids.htm https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer-in-children
Comments