BY RYAN MERARD
Seeing a homeless person begging for money in the streets, watching a commercial about food-insecure children asking for donations and witnessing a waiter work far too hard for the meager wage they’re receiving are all things that compel people to be generous and give to others. A donation to a charity or a simple action like tipping can go a long way and may change someone’s life greatly.
Charities are organizations made to help those in need. Usually, people give gifts to charities to help. The gifts do not always have to be monetary, as some charities make use of blankets, clothes, food or anything else that would help their purpose.
According to Our World In Data, nearly 751 million people in the world are living in extreme poverty.
Being generous is important, and although it is not mandatory it should always be encouraged because of the major impacts that come with giving. People should be more charitable in today’s society as it not only benefits those that are receiving the gifts, but also the donor themselves.
Not everybody in this world is fortunate enough to have basic necessities such as water and food on a daily basis. The more fortunate should at least attempt to donate what they can.
In a study detailed by the National Public Radio (NPR), a charity called GiveDirectly gave a select group of adults in Kenya $22 per month each, enough to get a basket of food every day. This study showed that the people in Kenya used the money to their advantage, and some families’ incomes grew by as much as 50 percent thanks to the charity’s donations.
Poverty is a common issue throughout the world. According to Our World In Data, nearly 751 million people in the world are living in extreme poverty. Giving back to the needy may not be the direct solution to poverty but, if more people donated to charities, the number of people living in poverty may decrease.
Donating to charities also does good for the giver. Donating money or giving back usually makes people feel better about themselves. It gives one a sense of happiness, knowing that they just made a difference in someone’s life.
Next time the cashier asks if you want to donate 64 cents to a charity, remember that, if you are financially able to, it doesn’t hurt to give.
Also, if somebody sees another person being generous, it may make them want to be more charitable as well. Spreading acts of generosity can lead to more people donating their time, efforts or money, which leads to many more lives being impacted.
According to the New York Times, scientists conducting a study by the University of Zurich chose 50 people to give about $25 each week– half were instructed to spend the money on themselves and the other half were told to only spend the money on other people. The results showed that the people who were told to be generous and spend money on others were happier than those who spent the money on themselves.
One may believe that donating to charity is not important, or maybe they think that helping the needy is not their problem. However, if one is able to, they could try to donate to those who are struggling in life. Next time the cashier asks if you want to donate 64 cents to a charity, remember that, if you are financially able to, it doesn’t hurt to give. The act of giving, a simple act that can change someone’s life for the better, should be practiced more by the people of today’s society.
Photo by Carly Cuoco
