The Impact of Giving Back

February 11 is Giving Hearts Day, a 24-hour event for charities in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

Why is giving back with your time, talents, and resources important?

Because doing good for others and selfless service opens our hearts and minds to the bigger purpose of making our community and world better.

I wouldn’t have known one of the tangible ways the Anne Carlsen Center supports children with disabilities is by reprogramming toys to make them accessible and fun for little kiddos.

I didn’t know Amy Longtin, CEO and Founder of Tech4Kids, stays up till midnight some nights repurposes laptops for kiddos in our community so they have the tech resources to succeed.

I didn’t know Nyamal Dei with Kondial Kel International mails writing utensils and paper to girls in South Sudan so they don’t have to write with sticks in the dirt or share one pencil across a classroom.

I didn’t know about the far-reaching impact of BIO Girls and the power of volunteers coming alongside girls to empower and boost their self-confidence.  

And I didn’t know Furniture Mission of the Red River Valley restores hope to families who have suffered loss of household items or those in crisis by providing free furniture. Imagine a mom and dad being able to tuck their child to sleep with the comfort of a mattress instead of the floor.

You can listen in to these stories and learn more about each of these organizations on Glaze and Grit.

All of these difference makers have encouraged me to give back and focus on all the good in our community.

Whether you participate in Giving Hearts Day on February 11, I encourage you to take a moment to assess your own giving journey and seek ways you can make our community and world a better place. You never know the impact your gifts and time can make in someone’s life.

We all can do something.

To find a list of organizations participating in Giving Hearts Day, check out www.givingheartsday.com.