What is Giving Tuesday?

GIVING TUESDAY BLOW OUT DEALS!

HAPPINESS ON SALE December 3 – Buy one, get one FREE!

By Louise Amuir, Development Manager for The Haven

The Friday after American Thanksgiving is the opening of the holiday shopping season.  Retailers call it Black Friday and have huge sales with fabulous deals so people can give their loved ones great presents.  Cyber Monday is for on-line computer deals – another opportunity to save lots of money to buy electronics to give out as holiday presents.

And now, as a palate cleanser after all that buying (and because of all the money you’ve saved), there’s Giving Tuesday.  There have been a number of studies that show you CAN buy happiness – one of the easiest ways is to use money in service of other people.  Give it to someone, donate it to something you care about, buy a coffee for someone in the line behind you or throw $20 into the street musician’s basket.  That spark of connection with someone else, that feeling of having enough to share is a lot like happiness.

Here at The Haven, we invite you to buy some happiness for yourself at our special two-for-one deal on Giving Tuesday and throughout December.  For every dollar (or hundred dollars) you give, our Board and some friends will match you (up to $25,000).

Alongside the happy folks who are monthly donors (happy every month!!), this will fund next year’s Financial Aid program.  Every year 75-80 adults and children are able to attend Haven programs who otherwise could not afford to.  Here’s what someone wrote in a recent survey:

Thank you to all the supporters of the Haven Financial Aid program, which turned my strong desire to attend Come Alive from a dream into reality. Dealing with anxiety which has caused me not to leave the house for days and sometimes weeks, damaged relationships and turned my once promising career into a downward spiral. After the Come Alive program I have seen an improvement in myself and it has helped put me on the road to once again become a positive and contributing member of society. Bless all of you.

Other studies show that the practice of gratitude is another way of cultivating happiness. There is something very lovely about giving. I like it; I feel good.

It is sometimes challenging to be on the receiving side of things – letting people know I am vulnerable and could use some help, showing that I don’t have it all together all the time – and yet, here at The Haven that very showing of vulnerability is often the opening to connection with others.  Gratitude and the pleasure of giving are both opportunities for connection with other people.  Gratitude and generosity seem to be ways in which we can express our hearts and our humanity.

On Giving Tuesday, we would love to hear how gratitude or generosity has contributed toward your happiness.  Please, send a little story or make a comment here, telling us what you care about and how that has affected you.

And please join us for the Matching Campaign for Financial Aid December 1-31st.

Thank you for the difference YOU make in the world with your giving and receiving!