Community Fun Club — Nichol Goldstein (Progress) asked a question.
While I admit "Share your Giving" is a weird title, it's the best one I could come up with to encapsulate what this month's "game" is about. 😅
As we wind down toward the end of the year, the holidays are upon us. For some, that means family. For some it means friends. For some it means relaxation time away from the woes of work.
And for some, it means giving back.
I know that we're a Global Community, and many of us aren't in the same location, but I wanted us to share what we do to be charitable (any time of year) and share information about the causes that matter most to us.
HOW TO PLAY:
Rack up points with the following:
- Share some information about a (single) charity close to your heart - 5 points
- Share a picture of any in-person work you may have done, any time - 15 points
- Email proof of a monetary donation made in 2025 to Community@progress.com (black out how much you gave and any personal information other than your name, the charity, and the date) - 15 points
For me, personally, each year my Progress office gives us the opportunity to "adopt" the Christmas lists of real, live children in our area. Many people donate toys and clothes, but this allows us to focus specifically on one family's needs. Their lists are usually filled with clothing asks and only a singular toy - but I try to always give more than one cool gadget or stuffie. Every child wants more toys. 💗
If you're in Massachusetts (or the United States), please look at: https://www.mass.gov/locations/dcf-greater-lowell-area-office to collaborate with the Department of Children and Families and "adopt" a family. If you're a Progress Employee, Julie and Janice will be sending out an invitation to participate.
And no matter where you are, help share your good vibes by letting us know what causes matter most to you.
I like this idea.
We've quite drastically changed the way we give lately for personal reasons that really don't matter here. As a result we tend to give to things on a more adhoc basis than regularly giving to a particular cause. We also like to support local charities.
For example, my children have benefited a lot from certain local nature related charities and the work they have done to outreach to young people, so we have made a number of donations in this area. Getting kids off their computers and outside is a hugely important thing IMO!
As for photos of me? No chance :)
I could use this. I can't get my Spawn off of Minecraft to save my life.
We do (amongst other stuff) Christmas Jumper Day every year for 'Save the Children' - this year is our 9th year in a row. Here's the office turnout from last year with other local businesses.
I love this! What a great group of people for great causes!
Joulupuu (translated to Christmas tree) campaign: https://joulupuu.org/in-english/
Quote from their web page:
"Joulupuu is a traditional Christmas campaign collecting presents to children and youth at risk of social exclusion in Finland. You can participate in the campaign by bringing a wrapped Christmas present to a local Joulupuu collection in your area or by making a donation on eJoulupuu.fi. All donated presents will be delivered to a toddler, child or youngster who might not receive any presents this Christmas without the Joulupuu campaign. There are tens of thousands of children under child welfare services in Finland, and over 10 000 in the Helsinki region alone."
This makes me happy. I was a kid on welfare and my Christmas always came from the generosity of others. I don't take for granted when people do things like this. Thank you for helping kids feel included in the holidays. Santa shouldn't skip the houses of poor people. 💗
For many years now, instead of holiday gifts, I ask my family to make donations to organizations I support, and I ask them where they want a gift sent on their behalf. For those of you in southern New Hampshire (especially folks at Progress HQ), we really like Gather; they are doing good work, and we’ve been donating to them since COVID started.
Wow~ Food security is so important. I love this. 🍗🍇