OPINION: Giving this Holiday Season

As we enter the last month of the year, it is a time that we think about how lucky we are as well as the less fortunate around us.

We ask that you consider that you give the gift of your time this year. And not just now, but into the next year.

We could give a list of organizations that need your help—food banks, homeless shelters, foster care, veterans, nursing homes, coaching—but what we want is for you to seek out an experience and the reward you get by sharing your time to help others.

Donation of time makes a huge difference for the organizations you help. They need hands as much as they need money. Inflation has made our pocketbook all a little tighter this year. You can make that up by volunteering once or twice a month at your school, local community group or faith organization that will go a long way in helping those around us.

Volunteering gives you a first hand experience of what happens outside our daily bubbles. It gives a face, a name to the hardships that our fellow citizens are going through. And there is always a sense of accomplishment when you help someone.

Finally, it is the example you are setting for those around you—especially the next generation. While writing a check does make a difference, the experience of helping someone less fortunate will leave a much greater impact on a child. 

So for the rest of this year and next, please consider giving the gift of your time to help those in our community struggling. On this Cyber Monday, look for a local organization that needs your help as well.