Eight Crazy Nights...

For the past week the Place2Give team have been at booths around Calgary selling TheCardThat.Gives.  Over the course of these weeks we’ve had interesting conversations with people about their charitable giving and what the holidays mean to them.  In one such conversation, a customer shared what her family does for the eight nights of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights celebrated by Jews all around the world starts this evening.  Gift giving for Hanukkah has grown out of the Christmas celebrations that occur at the same time and each family has taken on different traditions - gifts every night, gifts one night, gifts on the first night, on the last night, themes… You name it, there is a Hanukkah concept around it.

Back to the lady who bought some of our GIVE cards.  In her family, each night has a theme.  Kids on the first night, parents on the second night, teachers on the third, night… etc.  On the fifth night of Hanukkah her family designates the gifts for charity.  In the past a donation was made in honour of the recipient to a charity of the giver’s choice.  We chatted about the charities that she has supported in the past, the number of goats and cows her family has purchased over the years, and the conversations she has had with her kids about philanthropy and community.

It’s these conversations that I love!  Finding out what is important to people and how they manifest those values in their day to day lives.  The holidays are a perfect time to start, continue and act on these values.

How are you celebrating the holidays this year?  What ways are you demonstrating your social values?

To learn more about the GIVE card and to gift the gift of giving, please visit www.thecardthat.gives.