CanadaHelps.org and #GivingTuesday

‘Tis the season. Go shopping. Overload on toys, clothes, stocking stuffers and food. Ripping open wrapping paper and dollar-store gift bags busting at the seams.

Except not for everyone.

For some people in Canada, the holidays can be a tough season to swallow. Not enough food. Not enough money. No gifts.

Forget Black Friday. Forget Cyber Monday.

This is not about guilting you into doing something. This is about helping create awareness. If you have a few spare bucks kicking around this week, why not participate in the all-new GivingTuesday?

Even if you’ve only got $5 to spare, you really can have an impact.

I’m using this GivingTuesday to help my five year old start to appreciate the immense satisfaction one gets from doing good.

Yesterday, we went to CanadaHelps.org (one of the founding partners of GivingTuesday) and I let him lead the way. I love that there are so many reputable, verified charities housed under one digital roof.

It came as no surprise that my sweet boy who adores every animal he meets wanted to help animals. Together, we talked about helping animals in our home province and I presented some of the options to him: aquariums? shelters? dogs with jobs?

The K Man ultimately picked the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, and we clicked to donate.

Here’s the message he shared with the charity: “I hope that you get a doggy that can help you cross the street safely.”

Mission accomplished.

Now it’s your turn! Will you think about giving up tomorrow’s coffee to help make a difference?

DISCLAIMER: CanadaHelps.org is one of my firm’s clients and I proactively (and eagerly) helped recruit some of the blogger advocates for GivingTuesday. Every little bit helps.