Posts Tagged ‘DPK’
Spring Forward Your Giving
Despite our very snowy and cold weather of late, turning my clock forward on Saturday was a nice reminder that Spring is actually on the way. That means it’s almost time to tackle those jobs around the house I often put off. Cleaning out the garage. Painting the living room. Organizing the digital photos we’ve…
Read MoreSometimes Love is Half a Sandwich
I never would have thought it, but one of the best lessons of love I ever learned was taught by a man with half a sandwich. More than thirty years ago, I spent a few summers on a construction crew. The work was hard, and the days were long. The pay was okay, but like…
Read MorePut Generosity Under Your Tree
The practical demonstration of generosity is displayed every year under a Christmas tree! The season begins for many people with the same old question, “What do you want for Christmas?” What do you get the person who has everything? When I was asked that question as a kid, it was a welcome invitation to describe…
Read MoreThe Unexpected Comfort of Giving
My mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. We were told her condition was treatable, but not curable. To say the diagnosis hit Mom and the rest of the family hard is an understatement. Statistics[1] hold that most Canadians know all too well the flood of emotions that accompany this news. In addition to new…
Read MoreBeyond the Thanksgiving Table
This time of year was always special to me when I was a kid. Thanksgiving meant a big turkey dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, complete with stuffing and all the fixings. Grandma would cook the food, and Grandpa’s job was to carve the turkey with the electric knife. And oh, the desserts! There was…
Read MoreLife Lessons for (or is that from?) a New Generation
Hope for the Future About two years ago, I had the privilege of speaking at the same conference as 10-year-old Manitoba activist Alliana Rempel. Inspired by reading “I am Malala”, this precocious pre-teen founded the charity ‘Battle the Bad with Beauty’ in support of children’s rights to education. About a year later, I had a…
Read MoreChristmas in July
It Wasn’t Always About Advertising For the past 70 years, North American advertisers have used the concept of “Christmas in July” to sell everything from overstocked holiday supplies to furniture and automobiles. But, did you know that this advertising trope has origins in a late 1930s and early 1940s charity campaign? It gained national attention…
Read MoreMaking an Impact
People give to charity for many different reasons, but one thing they all share is the desire to make a difference in the lives of others. Opportunities abound for generous people to give to a good cause. Large national and international organizations vie for donations, small local charities fundraise and, lately, direct appeals through sites…
Read MoreGenerosity is Caught, Not Taught
Concern for the welfare of others has long been a core virtue in most of the world’s societies. Parents today, regardless of faith, wealth, or background, want our children to grow into “good people” who are kind, generous, and think of others before themselves. But how do we pass on these lessons? I believe generosity…
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