Local organizations make Giving Tuesday appeals
By Jazmine Knight
It’s Giving Tuesday and many St. Joseph organizations are encouraging the community to support generosity by giving back to local nonprofits.
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide mission to support and spread generosity in the community. According to Mellissa Birdsell, executive director of Voices of Courage, the idea originated as a response to Black Friday as a way for nonprofits to get the community in the giving mode right after the holiday.
“A lot of people go out and we spend, we spend, we spend, and we buy and buy,” Birdsell said. “It was created out of that idea to give to nonprofits following all of this sort of gluttony of Thanksgiving and then Black Friday”
Not only does Giving Tuesday bring awareness to the season of giving but it also gives residents an opportunity to connect with local nonprofits. Danielle Brown, CEO of the YWCA says it’s an opportunity to say ‘we are here.’
“There’s something that hits different within you when you’re giving to something,” said Brown. “You really start becoming embedded in your community instead of just a citizen of the community.”
Birdsell says Giving Tuesday is a semi new concept that not everyone necessarily knows about. Residents can also utilize Giving Tuesday to give smaller contributions compared to a large annual donation.
“It does not matter if it is a dollar,” said Brown. “But it’s about the cumulative effort of [giving] and how much all of those dollars come together.”
All proceeds go directly back into each nonprofit to help provide services for the community.
“It’s really also great to help the ones in your own community,” Birdsell said.
There are a lot of different ways to give. At Voices of Courage and the YWCA, they have set up a Facebook page with a Giving Tuesday campaign. You can also give by visiting their websites, mailing your donation or by visiting any of the participating nonprofits and donating at the door.
Some participating organizations include Voices of Courage, Friends of the Animal Shelter, the St. Joseph School District Foundation, the YWCA and InterServ.
