Giving Thanks and Giving Back
The holidays are upon us. The season of giving – starting with Thanksgiving. Rooted in an English tradition that dates back to Henry the VIII and brought to North America, first to Canada in the late 1500’s and then to the future United States by the Pilgrims and Puritans in the 1620’s and 1630’s, the Thanksgiving holiday has become the quintessential year-end gathering of family and friends. Though initially set as a feast to celebrate the bounty of the harvest, it has evolved, for the most part, into a celebration of what life has provided us, both physical and spiritual. It’s also a time of thinking of others and those less fortunate. What can we do to bring a little joy into their world, not just at the holidays, but all year long? How about giving thanks by giving back? Volunteering is as nourishing as a leftover turkey sandwich but without the calories. It comes in many forms: donating time, money, goods and services. Many companies have made it part of their corporate responsibility as acts of good will towards the communities they reside. If you have the desire and passion to help others, then here are some ideas and helpful links including local Reno charities that SFG and/or employees of SFG have supported:
Trip Savvy – though really a travel site, they provide a list of volunteer opportunities on this page, with links to a number of local charities and city sites. Type Volunteer in their search field to see the list of volunteer opportunities.
Veteran’s Guest House – The Veterans Guest House provides United States military service veterans and their families temporary overnight accommodations when receiving treatment at a medical facility in the Reno-Sparks area. There are regular opportunities to donate time, money and goods to those who served us selflessly.
The Eddy House – The Eddy House in Reno works with homeless and at-risk youth to develop life and job skills necessary for sustainable independence.
The Children’s Cabinet – Since 1985, The Children’s Cabinet’s mission has been to keep children safe and families together by providing services and resources that address unmet needs through a unique and effective cooperative effort between the private sector and public agencies in Nevada.
The Ronald McDonald House – The Reno Ronald McDonald House lodges those families living more than 30 miles away with a child receiving treatment at an area hospital.
These are just a few examples of ways to give back to the community we all call home. There are so many ways to get involved. It’s good for the community, it’s good for the soul!