If This Is The Season For Giving, What Is The Rest Of The Year?
It has always struck me as insincere that we culturally time this brief ‘season of giving’, with the peak ‘season for mindless, transactional consumption’, which I suppose is supposed to take place after a very long ‘season for taking’.
The idea of 'seasons for giving' being based on calendar dates and marketing campaigns, rather than the needs of the disadvantaged, speaks volumes about the culture that has been encouraged in the western world regarding 'doing good' in general.
The entire charitable and impact industry is heavily biased towards the feelings of the 'giver' over and above the needs of the receivers of help. This leads to the dozens of requests I get every year from well meaning people "wanting to do something for Christmas Day", while ignoring the needs of the remaining 365 days of the year. The outpouring of toys and gifts, but a reticence to contribute to rent assistance, car registration payments and assets for training at schools. This culture encourages organisations to put on events for Christmas, so that there are dozens of giant lunches for one day of the year, instead of meals being spread out over the rest of the year. Wasted resources, people wanting to 'serve food to those in need' at Christmas so they can take a photo and tell everyone about how they 'gave back' during the festive season.
It's a season of looking to do good for 'those in need', while not being as understanding of the struggles of your work colleagues, family and friends year round. It's looking beyond your next door neighbours, and those you interact with everyday to go and have a 'massive impact' somewhere else.
It's getting frustrated and raging in a car park of a shopping center/in traffic/waiting for a checkout/in the shops, while you are waiting to buy toys to donate.
It's the season for humble bragging about what you are giving this 'season for giving'.
We can do better than this, and we must.
If you are looking for a way to turn the ‘season of giving’, ‘season of caring’ and ‘season of goodwill’ into a complete 2020, full of positive impact, doing good and looking after people, get in touch. 99.95% chance that it won’t involve a soup kitchen on Christmas Day, 100% chance that it will be better for any one of the millions who are in need for the remaining 365 days of 2020.
This decade we are coming at the transactional, marketing driven, emotive, vacuous, green-washed, purpose-washed, illogical, ineffective systems of charity and intervention and tearing them down to change the way that people help people, for good.
In the 20’s I will continue to drive an ecosystem to improve the impact literacy of everyone, impact opportunities for those who can help and impact outcomes for those in need.
Unfortunately the attitude of ‘doing something is better than nothing’, is leaving millions in Australia and billions across the world missing out on opportunities, help and support that they deserve as much as the next person.
It’s time to change from a ‘season of giving’ to a ‘lifetime of understanding, support and opportunity’. Now that would be a real Festivus miracle.
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Education attorney representing public schools with emphasis on special education, homeless/foster care, enrollment and attendance, public records requests
5yGreat question - I’m in!
Connecting dots and making a splash in philanthropy 🌈
5y"We can do better than this and we must." Great article Josh Jones - thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Senior Talent Acquisition Partner | Chapter Lead | DEI Champ | Brand Ambassador | Mental Health Advocate | Verizon #hiring
5yJosh Jones absolutely love the article because it's so true. What about the other 364 days of the year? Christmas is a season, yes of giving and good will but so many people forget about people's needs and emotional distresses the rest of year, what's wrong with spreading the giving and give a little each and every day, something as small as asking a friend or colleague how they are or letting someone who is fighting with anxiety that its ok not to be ok and sit with that person for 5 minutes to allow them to off load whatever it is that has them so anxious, just a little something each day beats giving lots for one day of the year. So many people like to be seen giving which is sad. We all should more aware, and personally I love giving not necessarily a physical thing maybe a smile or a helping hand it's such a nice feeling you get inside and to be frankly honest I'm a firm believer in karma.
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5yI love Christmas, but do find it strange that giving is sometimes seen as a seasonal action, rather than a habit (not to mention one of the main pillars of mental and social wellness). Have you read the short story by John Cheever, Christmas is a sad season for the poor? Might find it interesting.