Have You Given Back?

Coming off the madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, today marks the global movement of #GivingTuesday, a day dedicated to giving back. I don’t know about you, but my newsfeeds and e-mails have been inundated with opportunities to take a step back from the frenzy of holiday consumerism and contribute to a cause I’m passionate about. Personally, I have seen friends showing generosity by doing things like donating money to the YMCA so children who normally couldn’t afford to attend summer camp can do so, as well as animal shelters and other nonprofits near and dear to their hearts. Also locally, SignUpGenius donated $5,000 each to both Brookstone Schools in Charlotte and Matthews-based Christian Adoption Services and African Christians Fellowship International.

In Huntersville, Historic Rural Hill (site of annual events such as the Amazing Maize Maze, Lake Norman Highland Games, Sheepdog Trials and more) announced today that it has set up a GoFundMe page to try and help recoup a disappointing loss of revenue this year due to inclement weather. Rural Hill typically uses the revenue from such events to supplement educational programs in schools (more than 3,000 area school children visit Rural Hill annually to learn about what school was like in the late nineteenth century and how to make fire and candles using period-appropriate technology. 

Did you know you can give back even while completing some of the holiday shopping on your to-do list? Shop at AmazonSmile and 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases will go to the charitable organization of your choice.

Use this movement to share a teachable moment with our family this evening. It doesn’t have to be a lot—every little bit counts and will encourage your kids to remember others during the season. If you do participate and have a Twitter account, share your experience with the hashtag #GivingTuesday.