“I want to help. There must be something that I can do.”

We’ve all felt this angst at some point as we nervously scrolled a news article or watched with heavy hearts, a television report about a call to action.  

In a society where hundreds of media outlets deliver instantaneous and compelling news to our smartphones, radios and tvs, it is easy to feel torn, even helpless, as to where to make your personal donation or contribution count. It is difficult to choose, isn’t it, when it seems that the entire world needs saving. So where do we begin and why?  

Giving at Home:
1.     Volunteers will tell you they do what they do because of the ability to see an immediate and direct impact. When you give locally, you receive the reward of witnessing first hand, your contribution at work. For example, if you donated to our 2015 Give a Little Life campaign, I encourage you to visit our hospital and see how a telemetry unit purchased with your donations is assisting the safe recovery of someone who just fought for their life, and won.

2.    Local charities and organizations often have fewer bureaucratic processes and layers of administration which means more of your contribution hits the intended target. This fosters confidence for you, the donor. Local charities work hard at embracing accountability and understanding the immediate needs of their close-knit community. You will see with your own eyes, where your hard earned dollars are being spent. Donors will also find that communications and reporting from their local charity will be first-hand, relevant and easier to access.

3.    Giving locally forces us to engage with one another. Face to face is rare these days with technology causing more of us to simply tap a button, scroll, or click ‘share’ on social media. But local charities understand it’s critical to work hard at developing personal relationships and cooperating with local partners and donors in order to build a foundation of trust and collaboration.

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4.    Last but not least, when a community is strengthened and braced by its members, it becomes vibrant and healthy on all levels. A community that is not depleted and struggling now has the ability to reach out and advocate for the next one, and so on. One community at a time; that’s how we change the world.