If your relatives are bolting from the Thanksgiving table to line up for Black Friday sales that start at midnight, if your coworkers seem oddly distracted and glued to their web browser the following Monday, it probably means they’ve been sucked in by the allure of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It seems every year retailers find new ways to entice us to the idea that the Holiday Season is all about shopping. Many of us struggle to find a way to stay centered around the ideals, traditions, and spirit that makes that bring meaning to our lives this time of year.
Last year, a global movement began in order to try and change that. A group of nonprofits, corporations, and public figures declared the Tuesday after thanksgiving to be “Giving Tuesday,” a day to celebrate the spirit of generosity that can sometimes be lost in the bustle of holiday shopping.
When all was said and done, over 2,500 charities, volunteer organizations, corporations and foundations came together in all 50 U.S. states with one common purpose ‐‐ to help others and incentivize ways to give more, give smarter, and celebrate the spirit of giving.
This year, Giving Tuesday (12/3/2013) promises to be bigger than ever and REACH is proud to be an official partner.
In our recent blog, you read one survivor’s account of what it meant to her to receive gifts from REACH’s Holiday Program. In addition to the actual gifts distributed, REACH’s Holiday Program consists of an evening where survivors can come together, reconnect with one another, partake of an amazing spread of food, and enjoy activities for their children. This program gives us a way to reconnect with survivors that may not have reached out to us in awhile. As such, the Holiday Program also means an increase in the amount of advocacy services around this time of year, which can be difficult for so many. For all of these reasons and more, we could think of no better way to participate in Giving Tuesday than by highlighting our Holiday Program. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to ensure that this year’s Holiday Program is our best yet, and that it goes beyond a single evening or a single bag of presents to include supportive services to last through the holiday season and beyond.
There are several ways you can take part:
-You can contact deb@reachma.org and volunteer to shop for Holiday Gifts for a family in need
-You can invite your friends to like REACH on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so that they see the program highlights we will be providing about the Holiday Program over the next few weeks
-You can share and retweet these program highlights so that even if they don’t follow us, your friends hear about the great work that is happening
-If you’ve participated in REACH’s Holiday Program in years past, use social media to tell your friends in your own words what it’s meant to you to be involved in giving back.
-Participate on Giving Tuesday! Make a gift to REACH’s Holiday Program or another worthy cause on that day, find ways to volunteer, talk to friends and family about what it means to you to give back.
However you choose to participate, we hope that you are able to find meaning and joy in the upcoming Holiday Season.
