This Daan Utsav, take a moment to appreciate the importance of giving back

In today’s fast-paced life, it often feels like we’re living life weekend to weekend. Meetings, calls, travel—we’re too busy to catch a break.

But if the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that life is short and we need to make ours count for something that’s bigger than us.

A great way to do that is by offering our support to those less fortunate than us. There are thousands of people who need our help—whether it is in the form of money, our time, or even our skills. It doesn’t have to be a magnanimous gesture; even a small step goes a long way in improving another living being’s life.

But the big question is: how do we find the time out of our busy schedules?

It’s actually not as tough as it sounds.

In fact, the desire to give permeates the social fabric of our country, and philanthropy has been on the upswing in India, especially among our young population. As per a recent report by Charities Aid Foundation, last year, 85% of the 2,053 people interviewed had taken a charitable action in response to COVID-19; a majority of people gave money directly to poor families, followed by donations to religious institutions and then non-profit organisations.

It is important to understand that our community is only as strong as the people within it. The more support that can be provided, the better off the community will be.

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Starting young

The sooner we start the practice of giving, the greater the impact we will be able to create—which is why young people must get involved with the community. Youth energy is infectious. They are the front-liners and are better equipped digitally and physically in these times.

No matter what you’re donating—time, money, food, effort, skill or talent—take a step back to look at the impact you as an individual can create.

If we all, especially today’s youth, become passionate about giving, can you imagine how much we can amplify that impact? Thanks to social media and mobile applications, today’s youth have the potential to create a ripple effect across communities, making it so much easier to support the cause of one’s choice.

Sustaining the art of giving

There are many causes out there that catch our attention and a lot of us start contributing to the ones we are passionate about. But a lot of us aren’t able to sustain this. There could be many reasons for this, including paucity of time, change of location, and financial crunch.

However, giving means so much more than donating to charities once in a while. It is about forming deeper connections with positive people and ideas, getting involved with our community, and understanding how we can make a difference.

Today’s youth are conscious about giving back to the community and once they find the cause and connect, they will surely figure out a way to promote giving in whichever way possible. And when we do this repeatedly, not only do we enrich our own lives, but we also find our purpose.

Giving is like investing in mutual funds; if we invest continually, the investment grows and the rewards are much sweeter.

There are so many important causes out there that we can connect with.

Young Volunteers Organisation believes that all it takes is a small contribution to make a difference in someone’s life. Do you know you could empower a change with just Rs 506? All of us hold the power of doing small things of great value. We all should start somewhere, and keep walking the path. 

Start small, and let giving become a way of life. It will truly help broaden your perceptions of the world.