The coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, is lingering with global daily infection numbers increasing rapidly. And its associated lockdown has dragged the world into one of the worst economic recessions ever.
National and regional governments are continuing to walk the fine line between saving lives and rebooting the economy. Unfortunately, it is a start-stop process with local economies being opened, with people moving around. Then as the virus numbers increase, the affected parts of a country are shut down.
Many countries have run out of social grant money, so they have had to start lifting the hard lockdowns too early, allowing their residents to move around, resulting in an increase in the COVID-19 numbers. Suffice to say; no one really knows what the post-COVID-19 era will be like.
This introduction is not this article’s salient point. It merely provides the backdrop to justify the importance of philanthropy. Based on the current global economic crisis, it is safe to say that helping people in need is imperative or mandatory. It doesn’t matter how much or how little we give; the critical point is that we support charitable organizations. Therefore, it’s vital to donate here as part of our social mandate.
Not only does donating allow philanthropic organizations help the homeless and hungry, but it also has personal benefits that are worth considering. By way of expanding on this statement, here are several of these advantages:
Mood booster
Donating to charity is a known mood booster. Helping others is empowering. Research has demonstrated that there is a link between philanthropy and an increase in the secretion of the brain chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins are also known as happiness hormones. Therefore, the more you give, the happier you will be.
Strengthens personal values
Wikipedia.com defines the concept of a social conscience as a “a sense of responsibility or concern for the problems and injustices of society“.
People are born with an inbuilt social conscience. However, it has to be fed; otherwise, it dies out. Therefore, it is essential to practice philanthropy to strengthen and nurture your personal values, especially in giving and generosity.
Paying it forward
Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. One of the consequences of living in a world going through a tough time is that it is easy to forget to be grateful for the small things. And, earning a salary, no matter how little it is, is something to be thankful for.
Finally, one of the ways of expressing gratitude is to pay it forward. In other words, you show that you are grateful for a monthly wage by donating to charitable organizations that feed, clothe, and house people without work.
