GivingTuesday is December 3rd

GoGreenInside.ca campaign benefits integrative cancer care charities

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be good for your wallet if you’re looking to save on holiday gifts, but GivingTuesday is good for your health and well-being – and reflects the true meaning of the season.

Tuesday, December 3rd is GivingTuesday, a new Canadian day of giving and volunteering, taking place after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As the “opening day of the giving season,” GivingTuesday is a day where charities, companies and individuals join together to rally for their favourite causes and think about others.

Originally created by the 92nd Street Y in partnership with the UN Foundation, Giving Tuesday was a huge success in the US in 2012, and is launching for the first time in Canada in 2013, as part of its expansion into dozens of other countries.

The goal, say organizers, is to heighten the importance of giving, as well as increase giving and volunteering: “We have two days that are good for the economy. Now we have a day that is good for the community too.”

Health benefits of giving

And not just good for the community – the “feel great giving” that GivingTuesday encourages is also scientifically proven to be good for our overall health and well-being.

Studies have found that giving makes us happy, whether it’s spending money on someone else, or performing acts of kindness on a regular basis. Giving activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure and social connection, and altruism releases endorphins in the brain, producing an overall feeling of well-being. In the book Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Dr. Stephen Post highlights numerous scientific studies showing that when we give of ourselves, especially from a young age, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly impacted.

A 1999 study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that seniors who volunteered for two or more organizations were 44 percent less likely to die over a five-year period than non-volunteers, even after controlling for their age, exercise habits, general health, and negative health habits like smoking. Researchers believe one reason giving may improve physical health and longevity is that it helps decrease stress, which is associated with a variety of health problems.

Giving has also been linked to the release of oxytocin, a hormone that induces feelings of warmth, euphoria, and connection to others.

Giving yourself and others the gift of health

GivingTuesday is encouraging all Canadians to join in, give and volunteer for charities of their choice. And you don’t have to be a world leader or billionaire (like GivingTuesday supporters Bill and Melinda Gates) to give back. GivingTuesday is about ordinary people coming together doing extraordinary things.

Here are some suggestions from GivingTuesday…

For Individuals:

• Find a cause that matters to you. You can search for and donate securely to thousands of Canadian charities through canadahelps.org, give a Canadahelps.org charity gift card as a holiday present, or even create your own crowdfunding campaign using a platform like Canada Helps giving pages.
• Visit getvolunteering.ca to find local volunteering opportunities. You could also organize a volunteer day with friends or at work.
• Make care packages for a local shelter.
• Hold a garage sale and donate the proceeds, or donate your items to a shelter.
• Donate blood.

For Families:

• Talk as a family about causes that are important to you, perhaps one that has had an impact on your family. Research a campaign or activity you can participate in as a team and get your extended family, friends, and neighbors to support you. Or organize a neighbourhood garage or bake sale and donate proceeds to an organization in need.
• Empty your pockets and your piggy banks once every month. Dedicate some part of the money for a donation, and decide together where you want that money to go in your community.
• Go together to volunteer at a local soup kitchen serving meals.
• Take healthy, non-perishable food items to your local food bank.
• Clean out your closets at home and donate what you no longer use to a program that sets up families in new homes.
• Keep your family’s commitment to giving alive throughout the year.

To learn more visit GivingTuesday.ca

GoGreenInside^® has been inspired to get involved in GivingTuesday. We will donate $1 for every new Facebook page “like” and enewsletter sign-up received on December 3rd (up to $1,000) to integrative cancer care charities Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre and InspireHealth. We also encourage you to donate directly to these great organizations which are doing pioneering work to provide whole person cancer care, as well as prevention education.