Giving
Black Friday is followed by Small Business Saturday, which precedes Cyber Monday, and many businesses remain open on Thanksgiving! As the newspaper becomes burgeoned with flyers and the airwaves promote holiday sales, it is easy to get caught up in the season of spending, rather than the original spirit of giving thanks and giving back. I’d like to remind you of two very easy ways to do both.
Amazon donates a percentage of every sale to the charity of your choice if you enroll in Amazon Smile, a very easy, painless process. Simply visit https://smile.Amazon.com and enter United Way of Southeast Missouri or your preferred charity. From that point on, log onto Amazon Smile to shop, and the donation is automatic. You also have the option of changing your charity at any time. Amazon will even remind you to go to Amazon Smile if you forget the next time you shop. You pay nothing extra to give as you spend.
Another way for you to give back this season is to support Giving Tuesday, a global movement now in its fifth year. Following Cyber Monday, this year Giving Tuesday falls on November 28. United Way of Southeast Missouri is using this opportunity to raise funds to ‘Save Our Students’ (SOS) by donating to emergency student funds in our public schools and at Southeast Missouri State University. The SOS funds help provide necessities to keep students focused on learning. Items include eyeglasses, lunch money, winter coats, and other necessities for students in public schools in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City, Perry County, and Bollinger County, as well as gas money, testing fees, and other assistance at the university.
There are many ways to donate on Giving Tuesday—via our social media, our website, by text, by calling our office or mailing a check. Donations may be made to a specific school or simply marked SOS. Please visit unitedwayofsemo.org/ for more information.
We are challenging community members to donate a percentage of what you will spend on holiday food and gifts to those students who, through no fault of their own, need your help. Our community is your community, and your community needs you. Thank you for choosing to give back. May your holidays be filled with more blessings than calories!
