Many Americans consider Thanksgiving as the “official” start of the holiday season in the United States. Black Friday is the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Even during the era of Covid-19, the malls of America are crowded with shoppers looking for the best deals. Cyber Monday makes holiday shopping more convenient shopping from the comfort of your home. In 2012, Giving Tuesday emerged as another important date kicking off the holiday season. This particular day began with the simple idea of celebrating generosity. A way to encourage acts of charity after millions of Americans spend billions of dollars in the days after Thanksgiving.

According to the Giving Tuesday organization, supporters donated over $500 million during the 24 hours of Giving Tuesday in 2020. In less than ten years, the movement has grown across the entire world. Now hosted in over 80 countries and receiving support from corporations such as the Ford Motor Company and PayPal, often matching donations by employees and consumers. But what makes Giving Tuesday a genuine community effort is that anybody can participate in the event. Generosity can come in many forms, not just donating to charities but also reaching out by volunteering time and energy to help those in need.

Using Social Media in Positive Ways

The amount of donations made on Giving Tuesday is impressive. The advances made in technology over the past 25 years have helped make an event like this possible. Even during a pandemic when people were staying indoors, a staggering amount of donations were taking place. Social media is often criticized for tearing the country apart by creating division, but Giving Tuesday is a positive example of internet activism where communication provides a fast and effective method for organizations to get their message out to a vast number of people quickly. If you are reading this blog post on a smartphone or laptop, you have used technology as a positive method of being informed about our nonprofit organization, Here to Serve.

Here to Serve Pediatric Cancer Patients on Giving Tuesday and Beyond

Nearly a third of charitable donations occur in December. The holiday season brings out the giving spirit for many. At Here to Serve, we are grateful for the contributions we receive from our generous donors during November and December and throughout the entire year. A pediatric cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event for families. Feelings of helplessness wash over parents as they witness the devastating effects of cancer on their children. The burdens of the disease are overwhelming. Here to Serve was founded to help families cope with the daily responsibilities of life that still occur during the cancer journey. The generous donations and the many volunteers within our organization are the foundation that helps to provide this support.

While the holiday season can bring out the best in people, it can also bring up feelings of hopelessness and despair. Children spend days in a hospital room while parents worry about how to pay their medical costs. As a result, celebrating the holidays often get pushed aside. At Here to Serve, we want to help change that for our families. Providing holiday gifts along with preparation and decorations is just small ways to bring a sense of normalcy to cancer kids when there is so much uncertainty.

Giving Tuesday is a way to shine a light on the organizations that are there to help. Here to Serve believes the cancer journey of families is as important to fund as is cancer research and hospitals. It needs the same amount of attention and not just the attention it get from fueling fundraising efforts for hospitals and cancer research. Those are important, but no less important then a family’s cancer journey! We appreciate you taking the time to visit our site. Whether you came looking for information about our services for someone you love, or you are a person looking for opportunities to help, we encourage you to explore our site and learn more about our services and ways to help children with cancer. If you feel strongly about our commitment to helping families going through the cancer journey, please tell your friends and family about Here to Serve and consider giving generously to families who are actually on the cancer journey. In addition to our website, you can find us on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

By Chris Smith

About The Author

Chris Smith is a Here to Serve volunteer from the San Francisco Bay area who himself is a cancer survivor.  He uses his professional experience as a technical writer to give back and provide clear and meaningful information for families with a child battling cancer.