November is officially “National Gratitude Month,” a timely, wonderful opportunity to reflect and focus on practicing gratitude in our daily lives. And what better way to show gratitude than participating in Giving Tuesday? Started in 2012, Giving Tuesday began with a simple objective, to be “a day that encourages people to do good.” Set five days after Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect way to counterbalance a festive week of bountiful Turkey Day meals and Black Friday bargain hunting.
Giving back means different things to different people. To us at Force4Good, it means to give what’s available – whether it’s your money, time, skills, compassion, or thoughts – from the heart, without the expectation of anything in return. To give anything of yourself in these terms is honorable.
At Force4Good, we believe our real purpose is to foster community connections. We help organizations like elementary schools, local nonprofits, and pet rescues raise money year round through restaurant fundraisers. Every community member who shows up for an organization’s fundraiser is doing so out of the desire to help someone else, which is a really incredible thing to be part of.
Beyond facilitating these opportunities for others to give back, we put our money where our mouth is, donating 1% of all Force4Good profits to organizations doing good. Here are the three charities we’re supporting during Giving Tuesday and Colorado Gives Day (December 6th):
- Hope House Colorado: “Hope House Colorado empowers parenting teenage moms to strive for personal and economic self-sufficiency and to understand their significance in God’s sight, resulting in a healthy future for them, and for their children.”
- Catholic Charities of Denver – specifically the Marisol Homes: “Marisol Homes provides safe and secure emergency and community-based extended-stay shelter for pregnant women and single women with children. We support families who need a safe place to stay as they get back on their feet. We provide maternity care, case management, child care services and lots of love. And, when our participants leave Marisol Homes, they continue to receive the support they deserve as they start the next chapter of their families’ lives.”
- Village Exchange Center: “The Village Exchange Center is a community center and multi-faith worship space that celebrates religious and cultural diversity by creating an inclusive environment where residents from all backgrounds can practice, interact, share, and develop together.”
We hope you’ll consider joining us in donating to fantastic organizations like these on Giving Tuesday or Colorado Gives Day! Whether you give your time, money, energy, or acts of kindness, Giving Tuesday is a great note to end the month on.
From Force4Good, we hope you have a lovely holiday season.