Easter is the central event for the hope held by Christians around the world. The long weekend forever marks the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. His sacrifice gives all of His believers hope in an eternal future without suffering, without death and without pain. It is this eternal hope that also motivates many people to give generously, and even sacrificially, for the benefit of others.
Eternal perspective, or belief in an afterlife, is a belief that is held by many different faiths. It prompts many people to look at their possessions as temporary gifts that they are entrusted to steward wisely. One primary act of stewardship is to share their gifts with others. In many cases, those gifts are shared with local churches, ministries and mission organizations which promote their faith. But in many other cases, donors are simply motivated to love their neighbors and care for those around them in need. When they make a gift to an organization helping others secure food, housing assistance, medical care, job training or language skills, they are giving hope to the recipients for a better day and a brighter future.
If you are looking for a way to give hope to someone, let me encourage you to consider participating in East Texas Giving Day. East Texas Communities Foundation is hosting the 10th annual East Texas Giving Day on Tuesday, April 29th. The official event runs from 6:00 am to midnight, but the website, easttexasgivingday.org, is active and accepting early contributions. In the past nine years, East Texas Giving Day has raised over $17.3 million for East Texas charities. This year there are 362 nonprofit organizations participating which are located in, or serving the people of, East Texas.
If that seems overwhelming, the event website at www.easttexasgivingday.org, is a great online resource for you to find a charity that interests you, and learn more about their work. Each participating charity has prepared a page of information which includes their mission, an overview of their work and a direct link to their website so you can reach out directly to them if you have additional questions. The website allows you to search by the name of a charity or by using various filters such as the counties served, the category of charitable work performed, and the availability of matching funds. With over 5,000 charities in East Texas, it is hard to know which organizations are serving your community, but the easttexasgivingday.org website can help you focus on organizations and services that are important to you.
The East Texas Giving Day giving process is easy and very personalized. Donors can select the specific charities they want to support, and the specific amounts of their contributions to each organization in one simple online transaction. Leaderboards are actively tracking the dollars raised and number of contributions made for each participating charity from now to the end of the event at midnight on April 29th. The event is online, so it is very resilient to the volatility of weather and other uncertainties. The goal is to raise annual support for local charities and build awareness of their amazing work in our East Texas communities.
This week is also a good time to create your own fundraiser for a charity that is important to you. Fundraisers allow people to tell their personal story about how a local charity has impacted them, and set a personal campaign goal to share with their family and friends. Your personal story could introduce someone to the work of a nonprofit they never knew about, and provide them an opportunity to join you in support of that mission. There are easy to follow instructions on how to create a fundraiser at the top of the home page at easttexasgivingday.org. As you reflect on your present circumstances and the hope within you, consider the opportunity to share that hope with others. If you have financial resources, let me encourage you to find a charity to support for East Texas Giving Day. If your financial resources are tight, you can also learn about volunteer opportunities on each organization’s information page. Giving some of your hope to others by making a gift, creating a fundraiser to tell your story, or sharing your interest in volunteering at a local charity may be your next best opportunity to give well.
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