Who and Why We Are
I’ve always felt a little bit embarrassed by my lack of giving. Fifteen years ago, as a single parent with two small children and not much of a job, I felt very guilty when I was unable to donate money towards important causes such as cancer, hunger, poverty and literacy. People would knock on my door, or I’d get appeals in the mail and I had to ignore them. I felt like not much of a human being. I didn’t like feeling that way, but I convinced myself that I just wasn’t in the position to give. I hoped that I would be someday, though. Eventually it occurred to me that what I could donate was time. So I did. I worked on a project to redesign workshop materials for the prevention of child abuse. Then I took a training course to become a volunteer with a Women’s Crisis Center. From there I volunteered with the local AIDS Project helping with programs for teen girls and women. Then life got a little busier and all the projects were complete or defunct, so I stopped. I couldn’t seem to find anything that would fit my schedule and I still didn’t have enough money to donate what I thought was a significant amount. It seemed that I either had time or money or not both. Some people do have both, but rarely are we in the situation where we have neither. I started to look at giving in these terms. As a librarian, I spend a lot of time sorting through information on the web. Happily there is no lack of great resources that address ways to give. But they didn’t have the very simple and pragmatic approach that I was envisioning.
And I started to have a radical thought:
Why not give everyday?
What if giving everyday was a habit like our morning cup of coffee and our click of the mouse to check our email, blogs and Facebook account? What if people could give everyday in a really easy and productive way? What if it was fun? What if it was meaningful and educational as well? Then the question changed.
Why NOT give everyday?
It’s not as radical as either you or I think. On this site you will find links to all sorts of ways to give. All organizations listed here have been examined closely (see our criteria for inclusion). If they are on this website they are worthy of your time and money. I’ll vouch for that. So the next question is, really, who gives EVERY day? Answer, you do… you will… you can. If you think you don’t have time, well, surely you have at least a minute. If you think you don’t have money, cut out a cup of coffee this week, use a coupon at the grocery and give the money you saved. Collect quarters. Collect pennies. See? We all have the capacity to give. We just need to make it a daily habit--like our morning coffee and checking our email.This website is just starting to ramp up. We’ll add more and more organizations. Check out the blog to see what is new. Please make any suggestions here. And I like fun. If you have a cause you believe in or if you just like to take photos send me a photo for our front page. The photo will change often, but it has to have a cup of whatever drink you start your day with, your mouse, and anything you want to put under your mouse that shows something about you and what you believe in, support, or think makes a good photo for this website.
Thank you for visiting. Don’t forget to give today.
Sara Ackerman Aoyama, MLS
Founder of GiveTimeorMoney.Org
I’ve always felt a little bit embarrassed by my lack of giving. Fifteen years ago, as a single parent with two small children and not much of a job, I felt very guilty when I was unable to donate money towards important causes such as cancer, hunger, poverty and literacy. People would knock on my door, or I’d get appeals in the mail and I had to ignore them. I felt like not much of a human being. I didn’t like feeling that way, but I convinced myself that I just wasn’t in the position to give. I hoped that I would be someday, though. Eventually it occurred to me that what I could donate was time. So I did. I worked on a project to redesign workshop materials for the prevention of child abuse. Then I took a training course to become a volunteer with a Women’s Crisis Center. From there I volunteered with the local AIDS Project helping with programs for teen girls and women. Then life got a little busier and all the projects were complete or defunct, so I stopped. I couldn’t seem to find anything that would fit my schedule and I still didn’t have enough money to donate what I thought was a significant amount. It seemed that I either had time or money or not both. Some people do have both, but rarely are we in the situation where we have neither. I started to look at giving in these terms. As a librarian, I spend a lot of time sorting through information on the web. Happily there is no lack of great resources that address ways to give. But they didn’t have the very simple and pragmatic approach that I was envisioning.
And I started to have a radical thought:
Why not give everyday?
What if giving everyday was a habit like our morning cup of coffee and our click of the mouse to check our email, blogs and Facebook account? What if people could give everyday in a really easy and productive way? What if it was fun? What if it was meaningful and educational as well? Then the question changed.
Why NOT give everyday?
It’s not as radical as either you or I think. On this site you will find links to all sorts of ways to give. All organizations listed here have been examined closely (see our criteria for inclusion). If they are on this website they are worthy of your time and money. I’ll vouch for that. So the next question is, really, who gives EVERY day? Answer, you do… you will… you can. If you think you don’t have time, well, surely you have at least a minute. If you think you don’t have money, cut out a cup of coffee this week, use a coupon at the grocery and give the money you saved. Collect quarters. Collect pennies. See? We all have the capacity to give. We just need to make it a daily habit--like our morning coffee and checking our email.This website is just starting to ramp up. We’ll add more and more organizations. Check out the blog to see what is new. Please make any suggestions here. And I like fun. If you have a cause you believe in or if you just like to take photos send me a photo for our front page. The photo will change often, but it has to have a cup of whatever drink you start your day with, your mouse, and anything you want to put under your mouse that shows something about you and what you believe in, support, or think makes a good photo for this website.
Thank you for visiting. Don’t forget to give today.
Sara Ackerman Aoyama, MLS
Founder of GiveTimeorMoney.Org
