(L-R) Pam Snowdon and Danielle Stewart from Volunteer Central, RDC Donald School of Business lead volunteer ambassador Chelsea Alferis. (Volunteer Central)

By Sheldon Spackman

Giving Back

Chamber hosts third annual Giving Tuesday Luncheon

Nov 19, 2019 | 3:14 PM

With the holiday season getting underway, local residents are being encouraged to embrace the spirit of giving this year by taking part in upcoming Giving Tuesday initiatives and giving back to the community.

On Tuesday, the Red Deer and District Chamber of Commerce hosted its third annual Giving Tuesday Luncheon held at the Radisson Hotel with officials from both Volunteer Central and the Central Alberta Refugee Effort (CARE) in attendance.

Pam Snowdon, executive director at Volunteer Central says their organization is partnering with the Downtown Business Association (DBA) and volunteer ambassadors from the Donald School of Business on Dec. 3 to inform area residents of what Giving Tuesday is all about and helping people take ‘unselfies.’

“Unselfies are a signature item of Giving Tuesday, it’s a riff on unselfish and selfie,” she explains. “People take pictures of themselves and they hold a small banner that says how they give back to the community through volunteering or they donate, that kind of thing. Then they post that on social media and tag the organization and Giving Tuesday.”

Student ambassadors will also be handing out goodie bags and encouraging people to drop by the DBA office on Little Gaetz and make a contribution to the Red Deer and District Food Bank or Red Deer Christmas Bureau.

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“Giving Tuesday always follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday and those two retail events kind of kick-off the giving season,” says Snowdon. “Giving Tuesday follows those two retail days and highlights giving in another way, it’s an international movement and it’s been in Canada, this is its seventh year.”

Last year, Snowdon says approximately $15 million was raised in Canada for Giving Tuesday.

“There was a really increased amplification of other giving,” adds Snowdon. “Of volunteering, of donating to food, donating to Christmas Bureaus, just people coming together to think a little bit about philanthropy, rather than gift giving through retail.”

With Red Deer being one of approximately 45 communities in Canada that officially recognizes Giving Tuesday, Snowdon says momentum in central Alberta is growing.

“We’re actually thinking about how we will do things differently next year in 2020 to make it a real community-driven event, and not just a charity-driven event” reveals Snowdon. “Mark December 3 on your calendar and plan to come downtown, meet the volunteer ambassadors and make a donation to your favourite cause, your favourite charity, make a donation to the Food Bank or the Christmas Bureau or to another organization that is in need.”

Avery Acheson, community engagement manager from the Central Alberta Refugee Effort (CARE) spoke at Tuesday’s luncheon and says his hope is to drive charitable donations.

“One of the goals is to encourage donation, but also to encourage thinking about donation in a different way,” explains Acheson. “A donation is an investment and it’s an investment in people. There’s lots of different ways to invest, and businesses and individuals can invest in people with the social sector, the not-for-profits, in ways that are not just cash donations, but partnerships or collaborations and ways that we can work together to drive social change.”

When you invest in people like staff or volunteers, Acheson says you drive innovation from within your organization.

“You drive change, you drive all sorts of really good outcomes,” says Acheson. “So if we take that concept and apply it outside of our organization walls and look at how do we invest in our communities as well, imagine the outcomes and the change that we can drive.”

Acheson says volunteering is a great way to invest in community.

“Volunteering is one of the best investments you can make,” he exclaims. “Whether it’s volunteering for an organization you care about, whether it’s volunteering with a faith-based organization, whether it’s volunteering in your community and having a BBQ or having a gathering, these are the simple ways that sometimes we forget that one of the best donations we can make is our time, our skills and our knowledge.”

To find out more or to donate, visit volunteercentral.ca.