The Spirit of Giving

Dear Ladies,

Regardless of religious affiliation, a spirit of giving is abound in the month of December. We work with clients who want to direct their required minimum distributions to charities throughout the year, but we do so even more in December as part of closing out the year. As a firm, we donate to charities with which we are involved, and as individuals, we volunteer and donate to organizations that are near and dear to us. While there are certainly tax benefits of making these donations, I believe much of it is done because we want to help others who are less fortunate. And, often times, we do so anonymously or without any expectation of acknowledgment. This embodies the true spirit of giving and reminds us of how rewarding it feels knowing we are able to help others by our generosity and selfless acts.

My granddaughter is six years old, and she just had her first meaningful experience with giving. For the second year in a row, the Camp Hill Borough transitioned their annual holiday parade to a drive-through parade of lights because of COVID. The “price” of admission was a new, unwrapped toy donation to Toys for Tots. In preparation of going to the parade of lights, we went shopping so she could pick out a toy to donate. I explained that Santa is not always able to find all of the children because they may be in shelters or move frequently, and because of that, they may wake up on Christmas morning without anything to open. This was so impactful, that not only did she take the “job” of finding thoughtful toys seriously, but also she talked about the experience of this act of kindness with others for days. Instead of reveling in the joy of receiving a gift, she was enthusiastic about the idea of bringing a smile to another child’s face as a result of her gift to them. This was a very proud moment for both of us.

On behalf of our firm, Happy Holidays and enjoy the giving spirit of the season!