The holiday season is typically a time focused on family and being thankful for the best things in your life. This is the most true around Thanksgiving. Now that the day is over and we’re well into black Friday, I thought I’d make mention of the generosity that I happened to see over the break. My mother belongs to a women’s club in my hometown. They do charity work in the area and for Thanksgiving they collect food for those who may not be able to afford a Thanksgiving dinner. This year they broke records thanks to one anonymous donor who sent a truck full of food to the donation drop off location.

Just from personal experience, many of us know what it is like to feel the joy of giving a gift to another. In a New York Times article written by Tara Parker-Pope, gift giving is seen as one of the best things that can provide a psychological benefit this holiday season. In fact, she states that “Indeed, psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift.”  When it comes to the gift of food, I believe it may have even further beneficial results. Food is a great gift to an entire family, especially if they would have had trouble putting it on their tables otherwise. It provides everyone with a gift that they can enjoy and give them a great opportunity to get together and celebrate the holidays. I hope that this giving extends from Thanksgiving into other occasions this season. I encourage others to take the joy of giving material items such as toys and include the gift of food for those who need it. The smiles of those who receive food are brilliant and the community output which was shown in my own town was fantastic. This picture to the right was just half of the space that was given to collect donations. If you’re interested in reading the article on the psychology of gift giving, you can find it here. I enjoyed my holiday break and I hope you all did as well! 

Shannon