By: Bruce DeBoskey, Philanthropic Strategist
Soon, many of us will gather around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends — to indulge in an abundance of delicious traditional foods and give thanks for abundant blessings and freedoms.
The upcoming winter holidays are a wonderful and highly anticipated time to connect with loved ones and indulge in a certain amount of excess — including, for many of us, excessive gift-giving. Holidays can be both the best of times (in terms of social gatherings) and the worst of times (in terms of overconsumption).
This year, Americans will spend close to $680 billion on holiday gifts for family and friends. Adults expect to spend an average of $1,189 each – even though research shows that 70 percent of these same people would welcome less emphasis on gift-giving and spending.
Here are some examples of “discretionary” holiday spending in the U.S.:
Holiday spending can seem especially excessive in the context of food insecurity:
Holiday spending should also be considered in the context of some startling economic facts:
With these statistics in mind, consider the following two approaches as we gather around the Thanksgiving table to kick off the winter holiday season.
Carve out some time to spark a conversation around these questions:
During the winter holiday season, families can choose to carve out a portion of the money designated for gifts to each other to be contributed to a common “family and friends” cause — to provide food and other basic necessities for the less-fortunate in our own communities.
Imagine the result if each of us pledged to donate to a worthy charitable cause just 10 percent of what we would otherwise spend on holiday gifts, food and candy. Instead of being spent on discretionary gifts, billions of additional dollars would flow to nonprofit organizations for the benefit of others.
A pledge to give fewer material gifts to family, friends and co-workers and a bit more money and time for the benefit of those in need can bring families and other social groups together with a shared purpose. It can help children focus on giving as well as getting, spread the true spirit of the season and make our community a better place for everyone.
Isn’t that what the winter holidays are all about?