American Thanksgiving—or shall we say the days following Thanksgiving—have become entrenched in consumerism: store sales on Black Friday, stretching throughout the weekend in some places, leaking over the border into Canada, and culminating with online shopping on Cyber Monday.
A grassroots movement that is gaining traction in Canada counters all the ‘getting’ by challenging people to think about charitable giving. It’s called GivingTuesday, and it’s a time for people to remember those who need a hand up at times as well as the charities and organizations that help them.
Port Alberni’s first GivingTuesday event takes place on Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Char’s Landing. A low key affair this year, organizer Graham Hughes from Literacy Alberni Society is hoping it will catch on in years to come.
This year’s event has been set up as an inter-agency sharing opportunity, where groups such as Literacy Alberni, AV Hospice Society, Port Alberni Association for Community Living and the Port Alberni Shelter Society can let the public know what they do, and also offer people a way to support their organizations in various ways that aren’t necessarily attached to a dollar figure.
Think of it as one level up from the annual volunteer fair, which gathers organizations offering volunteer opportunities.
We hope GivingTuesday catches on.
facebook.com/albernivalleynews
