Give a Little to Folks You Don't Know

Maybe it hit you while watching It’s A Wonderful Life this year, as everyone touched by George Bailey’s life filed into his home on Christmas Eve to give him the money to save the Building and Loan. Or maybe you were reading A Christmas Carol with your kid when you realized, as Scrooge does, that pinching pennies does nothing for your own happiness and legacy—and even less for the well-being of the Bob Cratchits and Tiny Tims in your life.

Somewhere, in the flood of news stories about war, famine, disease, global economic collapse, and stampeding shoppers trampling down the doors of big-box stores to buy electronics, this year you became truly possessed by the uplifting power of the Christmas spirit. That’s awesome, because this year more than any in recent memory, there will be people in need. Make a monetary donation to a worthy charity by December 31, and you can claim it on your 2008 tax return.

If you’re new to the money-giving game, and you’re suspicious that your donation will be eaten up by administrative costs, you should check out Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org). Their stated goal is “to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America’s largest charities.” The six-year-old group offers things like donation tips and rankings of top rung and bottom rung charities according to how efficiently they transform dollars into good works.

But even if money’s too tight to give this year, you needn’t let your Christmas spirit dissipate. Volunteering is something everyone can do, year ’round. Helping an elderly neighbor with shoveling or shopping can be a priceless service. Or why not make a New Year’s resolution to donate your time and talent to different charities throughout the year? A little planning could fill in those empty spots on your calendar and make a tangible impact on our community.

Here is a small sample of local charities that can always use your gifts of time, talent, or treasure: African American Cultural Center, American Red Cross, Back to Basics Outreach Ministries, Be A Friend, Boy Scouts of America, Greater Niagara Frontier Council, Boys & Girls Clubs (various locales), Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers, Buffalo Urban League, Catholic Charities of Buffalo, Central Referral Services, Child & Adolescent Treatment Services, Child & Family Services, Child Care Resource Network, Children’s Growth Foundation, Community Music School, Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled, Compass House, Compeer of Greater Buffalo, Concerned Ecumenical Ministries, Cradle Beach Camp, Crisis Services Erie County, Council for the Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted MD Center, Family Justice Center, Girl Scout Council, Goodwill Industries, Hearts & Hands, Heritage Centers, Hispanics United of Buffalo, Hopevale, International Institute, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Services, Joan A. Male Family Support Center, Learning Disabilities Association of WNY, Legal Aid Bureau, Life Transitions Center, Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo & Erie County, Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Service Center, Meals on Wheels, Mental Health Association, Native American Community Services, Neighborhood Legal Services, Northwest Buffalo Community Center, Rural Transit, The Salvation Army, Valley Community Association, WNY United Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse Inc., Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health, YMCA Buffalo Niagara, and YWCA of Western New York.

The list goes on, but remember, you don’t have to give until it hurts—just give until it feels good. If you space it out right, you can enjoy the special warmth of the holidays throughout the year, and we’ll all be better for it. More information about giving can be found through the Web site of the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County (www.uwbec.org).

—buck quigley