#GivingTuesday to grace the area

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Joseph Pratt

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While people prepare the turkey and all of the trimmings, in order to give thanks to a people who helped another successfully escape intolerance, we also prepare for the hot button discussions of keeping refugees at bay, and, most importantly, how we will spend our money over a week of sales. Gray Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, etc. It is important to remember the true reason for the holiday season—whether you’re Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist— many people see this time of the year as a period of giving thanks and helping others. For four years, a movement has been raising awareness of upholding true values, through a day established as #GivingTuesday.

The movement began, according to www.givingtuesday.org, in New York City, thanks to a cultural center known as 92nd Street Y.

“#GivingTuesday harnesses the potential of social media and the generosity of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities; it provides a platform for them to encourage the donation of time, resources and talents to address local challenges,” the website reads. “It also brings together the collective power of a unique blend of partners— nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses and corporations, as well as families and individuals—to encourage and amplify small acts of kindness.”

This movement has people showcasing generosity in many forms, from donating money to favorite non-profits to collecting trash off the road.

According to #GivingTuesday officials, the event has gained a media footprint of over 2.5 billion mentions. It is estimated that online donations increase 470 percent on the day of the event. Also, over 40+ civic campaigns have joined 30,000 partners+ in 68 countries.

The Scioto Foundation, a local incubator of funding and endowment funds for area non-profits, provider of scholarships, and more, through year-round philanthropy and service, will be partaking in the movement this year. They also push for participation for others, leading through example.

The organization is encouraging locals to celebrate by donating to their favorite endowment fund, with a surprise gift coming from them later.

The group is also encouraging people to get out and complete physical work to show their love of the community, from volunteering time to cleaning up the area.

Scioto Foundation Program Officer Toni Dengel says that the group is joining the campaign to make the area a better place through service, and she hopes people highlight the work they do by using the hashtags #GivingTuesday, #SciotoCounty, and #GivingTuesdaySciotoCounty.

“This is a day to love your community,” Dengel explained. “We really want people to get involved in the celebration and, maybe, upload their pictures to social media to encourage other people.”

More information on the movement can be found online at www.givingtuesday.org.

For more information on the Scioto Foundation, visit www.sciotofoundation.org, or their Facebook page, where they are extremely active.

“We have a lot of great community leaders, but people often focus on the negativity. We need to start focusing on the positives,” Dengel said. “Tuesday will be all about giving back to the community and will be a great way of setting up a season of love and giving.”

Reach Joseph Pratt at 740-353-3101, ext. 1932, or by Twitter @JosephPratt03.

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