We Have the Will to Give; Resolve to Do Something

Supporting your community can be easy -- where it becomes hard is when we overthink things. But there’s always hope because, once you get involved, it becomes so evident how much the will is there.

So how do you find the way?

This morning, I had the pleasure of attending the Business Cares Food Drive’s Day of Giving. As a member of the drive’s steering committee, I’m annually awed by the generosity of Londoners. And this is just one charity out of many that receive support.

Whether it’s seeing people reach into their wallets during Grocery Store Weekend or after a performance of A Christmas Carol at the Grand, to employees engaging in friendly competitions to collect the most canned goods, this campaign shows how much people want to give.

Charity can be a tricky concept. There is no right or wrong way to give and everyone has their own opinions about what’s the most effective use of your resources. While it’s safe to say that most people know food banks aren’t the ultimate solution, they are a necessity in today’s environment. Our Food Bank supports multiple agencies and provides respite during particularly challenging times -- that’s important.

Equally important is that events like Business Cares gives people an outlet for their innate desire to help. In any venture, you want to make it easy for people to do what they want to do -- and Business Cares really does try to do that.

But the most important thing to note is that people want to help. It’s in us to give, so how can you do it?

Digital Echidna is proud to be part of Imagine Canada’s Caring Company Program. Our responsibilities to this program include

• Donating a minimum of one per cent of our pre-tax profit to community organizations (which we far exceed);
• Champion and sustain at least one community investment project; and
• Publicly report our community investment activities.

But this was the proverbial “cart.” The “horse” in that old adage was the fact that we, as a company and as individuals, already wanted to and were contributing to the community. The designation, much like our Corporate Social Responsibility awards and our Accessibility recognition over the years, represent wonderful acknowledgements of work we’d be doing anyways.

Why? Because it’s in us to give.

At Echidna, we focus on causes relating to youth and education, local arts and culture, accessibility, and the environment. We’re committed to empowering that next generation of leaders through our GenNext team. And we’re able to do this because people want to be involved.

Locally, we’re honoured to be able to support organizations like Ability First, Business Cares, Growing Chefs, the London Public Library’s One Book One London campaign, the London Fringe Festival, Friends of the Coves, the Home County Music and Arts Festival, the Rogers Sports Celebrity Dinner, South Collegiate Alumni, and many more. Echidnas are on several boards and committees throughout the city and we’re heavily involved in accessibility-related activities at the municipal and provincial levels -- and that’s just the official stuff.

We know Echidnas are out there, every day, making a difference in their communities, with their neighbours, and with their families.

For me, that’s the most important part of all of this -- recognizing the unheralded contributions people make. We’ve been honoured to receive recognition, both personally and as a company, for our contributions. But we’ve received them almost in spite of ourselves. We much prefer being in the background, contributing, and letting the cause shine through.

And that’s really the strength of any charity or volunteer group -- those people who aren’t getting the headlines, being quoted, or having a title. It’s the people who are out there, day-in-and-day-out, contributing because they have a passion to help.

The desire to give is a part of who we all are. And you’re likely doing it already. From caring for elderly community members to volunteering at school activities, there are so many ways to give that make our community better. It doesn’t need to be “official” to make a difference.

You have the will. And the ways are all around us.

Giving doesn’t have to be financial. It doesn’t even have to be substantial. An hour of your time, once in a while, can make a tremendous difference to an organization. Everyone has skills and strengths that they can apply to a cause.

And then you can choose if you want to amplify your involvement. You can shout it from the rooftops to show how you’ve been able to give back and encourage others to get involved, or you can be content with knowing you’re making a difference.

For me, that’s the ultimate satisfaction -- knowing that I was able, in some small way, to make life a little bit better. I’m not a guy for resolutions, but if you’re resolved to be more involved in your community, I strongly encourage you to do it. It doesn’t have to be big and flashy; it shouldn’t be about padding your resume… Instead, just start by finding a way to use your resources -- whether they’re skills, money, time, or all three -- and make a difference.

And while there may not be one, perfect, “right” way to give, it’s safe to say it would be “wrong” not to try to use our skills and resources to make small, positive changes for those around us.