It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year to be Generous

Christmas may be over, but the holiday season remains in full swing. Now that many have torn off the wrapping paper of their gifts, some are using the days between Christmas and New Year’s to be with loved ones and partake in yuletide festivities. Some will join the revelers preparing for the celebratory countdown to the new year. While the yearend celebratory weeks that include Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year’s Eve are reasons this time of year is a favorite for many, these holidays also remind us that it is the time of year considered a season of giving. Here’s a brief tale of how the charity of a radio station made this holiday season meaningful and memorable for an ailing man and his family and how it reminds all of us about the beautiful gift of helping others.

Giving with Heart

My return drive with my family to Massachusetts from a holiday getaway in New York City included a familiar two-hour ride along the New England Thruway in Connecticut. I usually tune in to WEBE 108, your typical “Lite FM” radio station, whenever I need a mix of favorite songs and traffic updates in the Constitution State. During this portion of my travels, the station broadcasted its Griffin Health Christmas Wish Granted segment.

The segment I heard was a rebroadcast of a woman named Sharon nominating her friend, Marielle, whose husband was rushed recently to the hospital following the birth of their third child. Sharon told a brief, heartfelt story of her friend dealing with mounting expenses while balancing the care she gives to her newborn and her other two young children with the time she spends with her husband in the hospital. Sharon noted the added worry of the husband requiring a heart transplant.

This story, like the many others the Griffin Health Christmas Wish Granted series share with its audience, tugs at the heart and arouses in us a compassion for a family faced with a dire situation that we would wish for no one to experience during the holidays (or any time of year). The radio station’s mission is to provide support that enables families to have as enjoyable and memorable a Christmas as possible, thereby easing the families’ burdens while the family members strive to recover from their calamity. For Marielle and her family, the announcer of the story segment said that the radio station would provide them with food, diapers, and Christmas presents through its partnership with local businesses. (Click this link to hear the story.)

It is a story that made me pause and hope for a positive outcome for this family. To hear that people and businesses are willing to make a difference by helping those in need through community partnerships, such as the Griffin Health Christmas Wish Granted and local businesses that share in its commitment, leaves me feeling hopeful that those with a generous heart can make a positive impact in the lives of others. Connecticut’s WEBE 108 is only one example of many community businesses and organizations devoted to helping the citizens of their community. And in case you weren’t aware, many of these businesses and organizations welcome support from individuals who can join them in their effort to help others. You could offer some of your time as a gift to help others in need during the holiday season.

A Health-promoting Approach during the Season of Giving

Are you curious about how to help? Here are some examples:

Consider donating unused clothes to a charity. That sweater you received as a gift and are planning to return for a different size or color, or a cash refund could be the perfect gift to help keep the person struggling to make ends meet warmer this winter.
Consider donating food to a local food bank. And ask if the food bank can use a volunteer. The reward of helping individuals to remain fed this season will help you to experience the true meaning of what the holidays represent.
For those of you able to spread your goodwill to other regions around the globe, consider donating to an international aid organization.
As a bonus, say a prayer that asks that those around the world who are facing severe hardships and challenges receive some type of relief throughout the new year and receive some, if not all, of the blessings many of us are fortunate to have in our lives.

Yes! Thinking about our fellow humans should be as much at the forefront of our minds as the festivities representing the holiday season. Contribute to a worthy cause. And encourage others to do the same in an imperfect world where many wish for a meal to eat and a place to sleep, where many are exposed to the threat of war and hope to stay safe for another day, where many are struggling with loneliness and hope to soon be in the company of caring people, and where many in poor health hope for support that enables them and their loved ones to have an enjoyable holiday.

Always Remember…

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, let us offer our generosity as an unconditional gift that could touch the lives of those who may find it difficult to share in the seasonal celebrations due to their personal struggles.

I wish you all hope, faith, joy, peace, and good health. Happy holidays!

Pedro Antonio