to remain available.
Your contribution can help change lives.
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Study the nature of compassion, and gain ideas and techniques for promoting compassionate behaviors in local settings for community benefit. |
This and other sections in the Tool Box chapter on Spirituality and Community Building (Chapter 28) have been written with the support and contributions of experts connected with the Charter for Compassion. For more information about the Charter and its work, visit www.charterforcompassion.org .
A working definition of âbeing charitableâ, the importance and benefits of being charitable, how being charitable is good for you, being charitable and its community consequences, some potential challenges to being charitable, how to become more charitable, an introduction to being charitable.
As noted in the Overview section, being charitable towards others is a spiritual assetâone that can contribute to community building. Some might even maintain that it is impossible to build a sense of belonging and community without some form of charitable practice.
An illustration is the South African view of community referred to as âUbuntu,â which is usually translated as, âI am because of who we are.â Retired Archbishop and social rights activist Desmond Tutu believes that Ubuntu is the very essence of what it is to be human:
âYou canât be human all by yourself, and when you have this qualityâUbuntuâyou are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.â [ https://www.tutufoundationuk.org/ubuntu-youth-project ]
This value, or way of lifeâUbuntuâsuggests a way of thinking, seeing, and acting in the world that we will explore in this section.Â
Tutu refers to being charitable as being someone with âgenerosity.â Whether you call it charity or generosity, each word translates to giving of oneâs self for another, for the greater good of the community. This can be the giving of oneâs time or finances, or something as simple as offering nonjudgmental and kind words.
Through charity or generosity of self, we create a deeper sense of community with each other. We begin to see ourselves as oneâone communityâconnected with each other through Ubuntu. We begin to understand, and to acknowledge, that we are interdependent in a respectful and supportive way.
As human beings, as a social clan, we have a need to live within supportive environments where we are nurtured and can thrive together, where there is a strong commitment to the well-being of the community as a whole. We are fundamentally designed to live this way. Being charitable towards one another is not just âa nice thing to doâ; it is an imperative for our survival as humans, and for our well-being as a local and global community.
Based on your individual experiences, you may have your own meaning for the word charity, or charitable behavior. The definition that we shall use for this section of the Community Tool Box is that charitable behavior creates feeling, which leads one to act voluntarily with kindness or goodwill towards another.
There are a number of synonyms or similar words to describe charity or charitable behavior that may be more comfortable for you; perhaps they resonate more with your values and beliefs. Here are a few based on Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions:
That said, what words or phrases you use to define charity are not as important as taking some form of action to support those who are in need.
In your community, one person may volunteer six hours a month of his time to a homeless shelter, serving meals cheerfully and making everyone smile. Another person may donate money to the same shelter, yet never enter its doors. Another may offer her knowledge and skills by teaching a class on literacy once a month to the shelterâs clientele. All of these are examples of charity and of charitable behavior.
There are many ways one can be charitable to others. There is no one right way, only your wayâthe way that feels right for you.
Four Aspects of Charity
More specifically, some ways to be charitable include:
Time: Giving of oneâs time, however long or short that may be. Giving time is not so much about quantity, as it is about qualityâabout being present with another to support them in a âhands onâ way. This might mean serving meals in that shelter, helping out during disaster relief, volunteering to drive seniors to appointments, baking dinner for a sick neighbor, or any number of activities that help you get to know those you are serving.
Essence: Giving of oneâs personal energy and vitality. You may have some personal qualities in abundance and want to share them with others â enthusiasm, hope, grace, gratitude, patience, love â or you may want to increase these qualities in your own life. Each of these qualities brings energy to the space you share with someone when you are truly present with them. Examples: Hearing an exhausted young mother laugh; listening patiently while a man struggles to share his story of being out of work; offering encouragement to someone who feels disheartened. Your own energy and vitality shifts to being more positive and optimistic when you share your authentic self with another.
Talent: Giving of oneâs skills and knowledge, such as teaching, gardening, cooking, knitting, or singing; or sharing wisdom from life experience. Everyone has gifts and talents that they are passionate about. These talents come easily and give you joy when you have a chance to express and share them.
Money: Giving of oneâs financial resources to provide aid, food, shelter, or clothing; or making a donation to a local or global cause. The sum of money given is not as important as the spirit of the gift. You could start off by giving what you can afford, knowing that even spare change is helpful, and then increase the amount when you are ready, willing, and able to do so.
You may want to take time to think about these four aspects of being charitable and evaluate which ones have most meaning for you and where to begin. You may also want to reflect on these questions:
There is no right or wrong answerâyour answer is your personal choice. Once you determine what is most important to you, then you may want to begin by writing down some thoughts and ideas that come to mind on how you want to express your unique way of giving. Include names of people or organizations you may wish to support. Â Being charitable doesnât need to be complicated; a simple gesture can be meaningful to the receiver. Now you may be more ready to share yourself with others.
Being Charitable Enriches the Giver and the Receiver
There are rewards to being charitable, both for the giver and the receiver. Not only are you being helpful to those in need, you are developing positive character traits and behaviors in yourself. Charitable work allows you to see life from someone elseâs perspectiveâtheir struggles and hardships, their triumphs and strengths. It is a privilege to be a witness to anotherâs life. And in being one, you gain appreciation and gratitude for your own life.
Martha is a manager whose young husband developed an aggressive, terminal cancer. She had her hands and heart full nursing him at home and caring for their two small children. Her co-workers organized themselves, and together they provided dinner every day, not for a month, but every day for six months. Marthaâs co-workers were witness to her hardship and struggle, and they responded. They appreciated a need greater than their own. They were inspired to draw on the positive character traits and qualities that live within us allâcaring, generosity, selflessness.
Marthaâs story showcases how the act of charity in a workplace makes it a community. Because of her co-workers, Martha was able to concentrate on what was important during those precious few months before her husbandâs passing.
Many nonprofit community organizations devote themselves to helping those who are suffering from hardship. They seek compassionate volunteers; they offer them the privilege of witnessing someone elseâs life by lending a helping hand. By sharing what gifts they have to offer, volunteers receive a giftâthey discover and nurture the best within themselves.
On its website, the U.S.-based nonprofit Share the Care states, âWhether you are a burned out caregiver or a novice caregiver, or a friend who wants to help, you can benefit from a system that lets everyone share responsibilities, creates a strong support network among the individual caregivers, and leads to making a profound difference in someoneâs life.â
Similar to other website resources like CaringBridge and Lotsa Helping Hands , Share the Careâs mission is connecting caring citizens with citizens going through difficult times in their lives. They are creating small temporary communities of giving within the larger community.
When you give yourself the privilege of being a kind presence in someone elseâs life, you will make a difference in theirs and learn a quiet appreciation and gratitude for your own.
Charitable Behavior and the Golden Rule
We all wish to be treated with respect and dignity, and to feel valued and listened to. In the spirit of charity, we would strive to do the same for others. One way to look at this principle is through the lens of reciprocity, known to many as the âGolden Rule,â which states, âDo to others as you wish done to you.â Here is an ethical code that instructs us to treat others the way we would want to be treated.
Although different cultures and faith traditions might have different words and language, all human cultures have a version of the Golden Rule. It advises us to treat our neighbors, families, and colleagues as we would wish to be treated, and shows how we can all apply empathy, understanding, and right action as our moral guideposts.
Depending upon your age or upbringing, you might remember the Golden Rule (or something similar) being introduced into your school, as part of your family values, or as a faith-based principle. It is a universal ethic, with the power to cut across gender, culture, age, beliefs, and social-economic status.
Wisdom traditions, such as the Golden Rule, date far back in our collective history and are expressed in a multitude of societies â both as lay philosophies, and as the vital cornerstone of the vast majority of faith traditions.
The text box below showcases how the Golden Rule is expressed in different faiths. You may also enjoy listening to youth reading the many expressions of the Golden Rule on this video:
The Golden Rule in Different Faith Traditions In alphabetical order, each reads: Bahaâi Faith: âLay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.â Bahaâuâllah Gleanings Buddhism: âTreat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.â The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5:18 Christianity: âIn everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.â Jesus, Matthew 7:12 Confucianism:â One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct ~ loving kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.â Confucius Analects 15:23 Hinduism: âThis is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.â Mahabharata 5:1517 Islam: âNot one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.â The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith Jainism: âOne should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.â Mahavira, Sutrakritanga Judaism: âWhat is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest in commentary.â Hillel, Talmud; Shabbat 31a Native Spirituality: âWe are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.â Chief Dan George Sikhism: âI am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all.â Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1299 Taoism: âRegard your neighborâs gain as our own gain, and your neighborâs loss as your own loss.â Lao Tzu, Tâai Shang Kan Ying Pâien, 213-218 Unitarianism: âWe affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.â Unitarian principle Zoroastrianism: âDo not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.â Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29
Applying the Golden Rule
The Golden Rule is reciprocal because of its âgive and takeâ intention. Reciprocity is created when one positive action generates another positive action and the cycle continuesâa charitable word inspires a charitable action, which inspires another and yet another. Imagine how business would be changed if this concept of reciprocity were applied. Or, consider how family dynamics would improve and conflicts could be resolved more readily. And then there are the communities that would come together in neighborhoods where currently the majority are strangers to one another.
In theory, of course, we all would support reciprocity and agree with the Golden Rule. However, it takes both discipline and dedication to make this a daily practice.
The Golden Rule can be applied to almost any situation, whether it involves family, community, or profit and nonprofit organizations, no matter what their size. You may also want to look within your own community and contemplate how applying the concept of reciprocity may create a more sustainable approach to the environment.
The Golden Rule has the ability, when used as a value or belief, to gently pull you back to your true self, to who you are, how you want to be treated and how you want to treat others. If the philosophy of the Golden Rule resonates with you, then you may want to make some further explorations:
Recent Research
An abundance of research reveals that giving to others is just plain good for you. Research by the Greater Good Science Center in Berkeley, California , for instance, supports the beliefs that being generous with others makes us happy, is good for our health, promotes social connection, evokes gratitude, and is, surprisingly, contagious.
In addition, Dr. Stephen Post, Executive Director of the Unlimited Love Institute , a nonprofit organization, suggests that we are hardwired to be charitable. He says:
âThere is a care-and-connection part of the brain. Brain studies show this profound state of joy and delight that comes from giving to others. It doesn't come from any dry action â where the act is out of duty in the narrowest sense, like writing a check for a good cause. It comes from working to cultivate a generous quality â from interacting with people. There is the smile, the tone in the voice, the touch on the shoulder. We're talking about altruistic love.â
You might begin your own research on the positive effects of being charitable to others by checking out the research done by these academic sources:
Positive Side Effects â âHelpers Highâ
Further research suggests that charitable behavior is the gift that keeps on giving back to the giver. âHelperâs Highâ is a common phrase that originated in the late 1980âs with Allan Luks, who at the time was the Executive Director of the global Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization. Luks was curious about the side effects of committing charitable acts and surveyed a sample of 3,000 adult volunteers. When the results came in, an astounding number of those surveyed â 95 percent â experienced positive sensations or feelings after volunteering their services.
Continuing his research in 2001, Luks and co-author Peggy Payne wrote a book called The Healing Power of Doing Good âThe Health and Spiritual Benefits of Helping Others . The authors define Helperâs High as a âeuphoric feeling, followed by a long period of calm, experienced after performing a kind act.â Their research also indicated that individuals who experience Helperâs High routinely reported that they experienced fewer colds, an increase in joy and self-esteem, less stress, and even less physical pain.
You have probably discovered after reading this section that it is pretty hard to find an excuse as to why being kind and charitable to others could possibly be bad for you. There is no downside to being of service to others, as it supports both you and the receiver.
Everyone has the opportunity to express themselves in a charitable way â from giving smiles, volunteering services, or donating money. All are impactful and generous acts in their own way and necessary in our complex world. With so many charitable ways to give, Charity Navigator  aims to help givers make informed decisions about spending their time or money. Charity Navigator distinguishes charitable classifications, conducts evaluations, gives ratings, and then pulls all this information together to report on charities that have a regional and global impact.
Another organization, the World Giving Index run by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) in the United Kingdom, has a mission âto  motivate society to give ever more effectively, helping to transform lives and communities around the world. â Each year this Foundation studies 135 countries and ranks them based on the charitable behaviors and actions of their citizens performed in the last 30 days, specifically (1) donations of money, (2) volunteering of time, and (3) helping a stranger.
Current trends seem to be positive. Quoting directly from the Key Findings and Conclusions of the World Giving Index 2015 Â Report:
âThis yearâs index shows welcome increases in the numbers of people giving their money, volunteering their time and helping strangers...the index shows high levels of generosity in countries facing turmoil â reflecting a pattern of giving in post-conflict nations as people help others through the most difficult of times. And it shows peopleâs innate desire to help others, even in nations which do not have anything like the standard of living enjoyed in the West.â
Of the 135 countries, first place in the World Giving Index is shared by Myanmar and the United States.
Giving and Happiness
In addition, the World Giving Index survey also showed that happiness had more influence than wealth on how much money was given away. This finding connects well with other research, which shows us that the happier you are, the more optimistic you are about yourself, your actions, and those around you. In 2007, a study at Syracuse University noted that people with giving dispositions were 42 percent more likely than non-givers to declare they were âvery happyâ and 25 percent more likely to report they were âin excellent health.â
Happiness, it seems, instills us with a desire to make the world a better place. The inspiration to contribute to a deeper sense of belonging and community grows within.
Focusing on Collective Happiness
There are communities that subscribe to cultivating collective happiness as a standard for living. The country of Bhutan has become known worldwide for the creation of the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH) . The GNH index uses nine domains (psychological well-being, time use, community vitality, cultural diversity, ecological resilience, living standards, health, education, and good governance) to provide a breakdown of happiness that is in alignment with Bhutanese culture.
The GNH Index sees the pursuit of happiness as a community or collective happiness, although it is also experienced individually. Jigme Thinley, the first elected Prime Minister of Bhutan, spoke about the concept of happiness and community:
âWe have now clearly distinguished the âhappinessâ ⊠in GNH from the fleeting, pleasurable âfeel goodâ moods so often associated with that term. We know that true abiding happiness cannot exist while others suffer, and comes only from serving others, living in harmony with nature, and realizing our innate wisdom and the true and brilliant nature of our own minds.â
Extending Charity Beyond the Home
One of the challenges of being charitable to others is where to begin. âCharity begins at homeâ is an ethic many have grown up with. For certain, we have a responsibility to care for our loved ones by taking care of family and relatives. However, in order for communities to flourish, we must strive to widen our circle to include others.
Karen Armstrong, author of Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, writes, "We are all intimately connected globally. Charity begins at home but can't end there. We must have concern for everyone.â
You may want to think about ways to explore this concept of charity by extending your goodwill to those you don't know in your immediate vicinity. Some examples:
It is important to look around your neighborhoodâis there anywhere you can see an immediate need?
The Latin word for charity is âcaritas,â meaning âunconditional love.â Loving your neighbor as yourself and giving generously in some way to those in need are expressions of a compassionate person; they are core beliefs woven into religious and secular traditions around the world.
Seeking Charitable Models
There are many ways to give, based on traditions, personal beliefs, and values. Many people wonder if how or what they gives matters.
We know we can measure the amount of money people donate. Yet, it seems that something else truly powerful plays a deeper role in giving. Monetary data may be helpful, educational, and enlightening, but do they capture the full essence of charitable action? Perhaps not, for in addition to giving money, people generally want to make a difference in the lives of others.
Consider the following example: Giving Tuesday , the global day of charity, was launched in 2012. Individuals, businesses, and nonprofits have jumped on board to belong to something bigger than themselves. In a few short years, Giving Tuesday has grown to include 68 countries. Its official website reads, âWe have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals (Black Friday and Cyber Monday). Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.â
The first Tuesday in December is a designated day during which âcharities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. Itâs a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company, or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Join us and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity.â
Giving Tuesday asks people to do one charitable act on that day as a run-up to Christmas Day. If you donât celebrate Christmas, there are many other holidays that Giving Tuesday can be attached to. The organizers of this online movement want to âspread the word that Giving Tuesday is a movement for everyone who wants to give something back.â This giving back can take multiple forms: volunteering oneâs time, making a financial donation to your favorite charity, or giving a helping hand to a neighbor locally or globally.
You may also want to learn more about the Compassion Games , designed to create a fun community-driven initiative around committing acts of kindness in the spirit of âcoopetitionâ instead of competition.
The Crossroads of Charity: Fix, Help, or Serve
In recent years the question "how can I help?" has become more meaningful to many people as they expand their awareness from âcharity begins at homeâ to their community at large. As this shift takes place in your life, perhaps there is a deeper question you might consider. Perhaps the real question is not "how can I help?" but, rather, âhow can I be of service?"
There are clearly times when you can fix a situation for some people. For example, you might donate some of your familyâs food or clothing to people affected by a local disaster. There are other times when you can help another person out of a tough situation â so you might help a senior to run errands after an operation; or, as the owner of a local sandwich shop, you might sell sandwich tokens to your customers to give to the poor or homeless in your area. There are also times and places where you might serve by giving of your skills or expertise to a community organization â for instance, by coaching a football team of at-risk youth, or by being on the board of a local co-operative.
All of these â fixing, helping, and serving â are good and necessary in different places and times. At a deeper level, fixing, helping, and serving are also related to how we see the intended recipient of our charity; and therein lies the opportunity for self-reflection by all of us who give to and for other people.
As the giver of charity, you may want to spend some time discerning how you approach fixing, helping, and serving. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen ( www.rachelremen.com ), a Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine, notes an important distinction among the three. The key is that we are all equal human beings. Charity should bring us together, not drive us farther apart.
Here are some thoughts of Dr. Remenâs, adapted for this section, for you to consider further:
Fixing: When we choose to âfixâ something we need to keep in mind that many things do require fixing; however, people are not gadgets or things. When we choose to âfixâ someone, we run the risk of treating them as being broken, or judging them for not being perfect, somehow incomplete. There is a time and place where fixing a situation is imperative. Be careful of your intentions, however, if you give your time, talents, or treasure because you believe that the recipients need to be âfixed.â While fixing might alleviate someoneâs pain in the short term, in the long term it may hurt and demean the recipient.
Helping: When we choose to âhelp,â we need to be careful not to create a relationship founded on seeing one another as unequal, thus creating an imbalance of power. If I see you as needing my âhelp,â I may perceive you as weaker than I am. Dr. Remen reminds us that âPeople feel this inequality. When we help we may inadvertently take away from people more than we could ever give them; we may diminish their self-esteem, their sense of worth, integrity, and wholeness.â
Helping in the moment may well be lifesaving; however, over the long term, seeing the recipient as needing your help may cause anger, resentment, and damage to the relationship. It is important to keep the self-respect of the recipient of our charitable act intact when we choose to fix or help in the short term.
Serving: On the other hand, when we make a decision to âserveâ others, we are recognizing that we have all had difficult lives in different ways. Each of us has limitations and triumphs. In serving, we choose to see ourselves and others as whole. We use our life experiences to serve others, and when we serve from the whole of who we are, we strengthen and grow. We know we are not defined by our circumstancesâwe are all equals to one another. We are connected. And Dr. Remen says, "We can only serve that to which we are profoundly connected.â
Serving happens when I am more engaged with the recipient and know more about who they are. Serving, for example, might be exemplified by a banker who offers free budgeting advice to single mothers so they can better manage their money. The banker knows that she or he will have to spend some time with the single mothers to give them the best advice for their financial needs.
On the surface then, fixing, helping, or serving all have their place. We are more effective in our charity, though, when we are being present for another. When we treat each other as equals, we imbue ourselves with purpose and offer belonging and hope to others. And when we let someone know, âYou are important and I am here for you,â charity can then become magical.
Fixing, helping, and serving are all acts of being charitable in different ways. What is most important is to offer up compassion, a non-judgmental place of accepting people exactly where they are in life, not where you think they could or should be. Being charitable can be difficult, because we may not be certain of what to do or say when a fellow human being is afflicted with any form of pain or discomfort. The key is to listenâand to know that your presence alone will speak volumes for you.
Choosing the Best Way to Give
Mother Teresa offered up enough charity for many lifetimes with her humanitarian efforts. She offered this advice about giving from abundance versus acting with abundance. She said: âDo not give from your abundance. I donât want your money. Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they [those in need] need your hearts to love them."
She went on to encourage people to make physical efforts to help the impoverished and to spend time with them, rather than simply writing a check. Mother Teresaâs reflections on giving are thought-provoking when considering whether you want to make a financial donation, give your time, or a combination of both. We have discussed how meaningful and personal interaction and reciprocity are in community building. Charity may be like trying on different coats until you find the right fit for you and the recipient of your kindness.
Perhaps youâve heard of the old adage that if you give a person a fish, they will eat for a day, but if you teach them to fish, they will eat for a lifetime. Yet, there are many for whom a donation can be a âhand-upâ rather than merely a âhand-out.â When considering the many varied ways to be charitable, you may want to assess each situation on its own merits, making a conscious choice of whether the situation warrants giving a person a âhand-out,â such as a shelter bed for the night, or a more sustainable long-term âhand-up,â such as creating affordable housing.
The Global Soap Project. This simple idea grew to be a global project. The Global Soap Project was started by Derreck Kayongo, who saw a need for better hygiene in refugee camps he visited. Kayongo asked hotels to donate the discarded soap from hotel rooms; then he recreated it into new bars of soap. Â Â
The list of ways to give is endlessâfrom your local village to your global community. If you wish to express yourself charitably through sharing financially, here are a few ideas to get you started:
Using the Four-Step RISE Framework
Some people have more time, some have more money; therefore, a variety of ways and means to act charitably is important, based on what works for you.
Investment specialist Warren Buffett, together with Rebecca Riccio, Director of the Social Impact Lab at Northeastern University, has created a free online program called Giving with Purpose to help people decide. Riccio created a method using the acronym RISE, which is a powerful framework for supporting community building. In her RISE practice, there are four questions to be considered when wanting to âgive with a purposeâ and help people make clearer decisions on where to invest their energy or dollars:
Consider the organizations, regardless of size, to which you have previously been charitable.
As you learn more about being charitable to others, you may want to think about bringing a group of people together who want to begin a conversation, and to deepen the dialogue on what you value about charity work, what you have learned thus far, and potential next steps.
Adapting and Changing Your Charitable Strategy
Being charitable to others may be as brief as a one-time interaction with someone, such as giving up your seat on the bus to an elderly gentleman; or it may be a long-term project that takes months or even years to reach fruition. Depending on the circumstances, you may want to use different methods for different situations.
An example of someone who adapted her strategy is Veronika Scott. Ms. Scott is a young entrepreneur who was given a challenge in her college design class to create a product that would âmeet a need in the physical world.â Veronika was assigned a homeless shelter to volunteer at and observe what the patrons needed, so she could gather ideas for her school project. After spending time talking with patrons, Veronika decided she wanted to help those who would be sleeping on the street in the cold winter months. She designed a coat â but not just any ordinary daytime coat. This was a coat that would convert into a warm, comfortable sleeping bag for nighttime use. One day while Veronika was handing out convertible coats, a homeless woman said to her, âWe donât need your free coats.â After reflection, Veronika realized the woman was trying to tell her that she didnât need a handout (remember the word âhelpâ) as much as a hand-up (remember the word âserviceâ) in finding work. As a result, Veronika moved from âhelpingâ and âfixingâ to âserving.â She founded The Empowerment Plan, a nonprofit organization empowering women to get back on their feet by employing them to make the very coats many of them wore. The women were now able to earn an income and also to contribute to meaningful work to support others. Veronikaâs coats have been received by hundreds with gratitude and certainly have made a difference in their lives. Â Â
Engaging in Socially Responsible Buying: The Charitable Consumer
Another way to increase our charitable consciousness and actions is to become more aware and thoughtful about what we purchase. In a global economy, what and how we choose to buy affects not only us as consumers, but, more importantly, affects the sellers.
A general term for socially responsible buying is âFair Tradeââwhere purchases are justly traded to benefit all (producers, traders, consumers, and workers) fairly. In making a fair trade, we are making a connection between the product and its maker. We are remembering we are purchasing something made by a member of our larger community. We are contributing to everyoneâs health and economic sustainability through buying responsibly.
Many of the products we purchase are from developing countries where the farmers, artisans, and factory workers are living and working in impoverished conditions. Where coffee and bananas are grown, there are Fair Trade associations supporting everything from improved education and environmental preservation to health care and community infrastructures. Coffee and bananas are just two examples of products where socially responsible buying can have an impact.
Other ways to blend socially conscious buying with charity are to buy products that give back usable dollars to worthy causes, or to invest in ethical funds that support companies practicing a âTriple Bottom Lineâ approach of helping people, profits, and the planet.
The late American author and founder of The Human Kindness Foundation , Bo Lozoff, wrote:
âIn the midst of global crises such as pollution, wars and famine, kindness may too easily be dismissed as a soft issue or a luxury to be addressed after more urgent problems are solved. But kindness is in the greatest of need in all those areas, kindness toward the environment, toward other nations, and toward the needs of people suffering. Simple kindness may be the most vital key to the riddle of how human beings can live with each other and care properly for this planet we all share.â
We share this planet, and kindness and charitable acts are about taking a holistic approach to how we treat our global community. Being mindful of our purchases is an easy and less time-consuming way of practicing kindness and charity. We know intuitively this may have a limited return emotionally for the giver, yet it still has an impact and makes a differenceâone cup of coffee or one investment at a time.
Teaching Children to Be Generous
Being generous is a part of being charitableââshe was generous with her time to help others.â But being charitable is bigger than simply being generous. It is an ethic, a way of being in the worldâa way of being that takes one outside of the self, and towards other people. This ethic can be taught to children.
Generosity, as one kind of charitable behavior, is a simple concept for children to understand. Teaching children to be kind and generous in their words and actions towards others is vital for their learning how to thrive in the communities they will live in as they mature.
Michael practiced being generous to others when he turned eight years old. What young boy doesnât want a birthday party and a room full of presents and fun? But Michael believed in the power of sharing with others less fortunate than himself. He felt he had enough toys; so he asked all his party friends to bring a gift for kids who couldnât afford birthday parties. Then he donated all of his presents to a local childrenâs charity.
A Charitable 10 Year Old: Another great example of childrenâs generosity is Xavier Elliot. From his own experience of poverty, he started to use his allowance to buy fabric to make clothes for homeless kids. Xavier found a way to use his own personal background to give back. Â Â
Is there anything from your own early (or more recent) experience to support you to be more charitable? Does your own experience influence what direction or way you would want to be more charitable to others?
You may want to consider different ways to inspire generosity in your children or children you work with:
In addition, you may consider finding your own ways to celebrate national holidays in your own country that relate to the topic of charity. This is an excellent place to begin, by using those special occasions as teaching tools for positive behaviors and values. Three examples include:
One can draw from a large list, both locally and globally.
To educate children further on this topic, the global website of the Charter for Compassion is full of excellent global initiatives and resources for children and adults to learn more about compassion to others.
Setting a Giving Intention
One additional way to become more charitable, and to put these types of ideas into action, is setting a giving intention or purpose in your own life.
You might begin with an action closer to homeâperhaps helping out a neighbor or writing a thank-you note to someone who has made a difference in your life. Express to them how important they are, how much you appreciate them, and for what reasons. Some other suggestions:
Throughout this section, we have discussed various ways to be more giving and generous with our time and resources. Weâve noted the benefits to the giver and the phenomenon of âHelpers Highâ from our kind acts. And weâve learned that being charitable to others is an intentional choice we make to contribute to the world around us in a more meaningful way. Having surveyed these topics, what general conclusions might we draw?
One basic conclusion is that charitable giving varies; it draws upon our own individuality. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says that âeach of us has been granted a precious life and each day upon awakening our first thought should be that we are fortunate to have woken up this day and that we are very much alive. I am not going to waste it.â He further instructs us to tell ourselves. âI am going to use all of my energies to develop myself and to expand my heart out to others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.â This can be done in many individual ways.
The Dalai Lamaâs words may appear to set a lofty standard, and yet we cannot shift the current state of our world, locally or globally, unless we choose to make a positive contribution. Everyone has a desire for a deeper sense of connection with others.
We may also heed the words of Mother Teresa, who told an audience at the United Nations that there are many people throughout the world who are âunwanted, unloved, uncared for, and forgotten by everybodyâŠI think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.â Mother Teresaâs comments apply across all cultures around the world, where many are starved from social isolation and loneliness. There is a great need for nourishment of the soul through connection and community as well as food for the physical body.
Every day, in our homes, communities, and workplaces, there is someone who requires the warmth of care, someone to unconditionally accept or forgive, or another who may require a little more patience from us in that moment. Certainly, there is no shortage of settings in which to deliver a charitable act or to hold a compassionate space for others.
What contribution will you make in being charitable to others in the next 48 hours? How can you make a difference, one person and one kind act at a time? You can begin now!
Olivia McIvor has spent three decades as an Organization Development specialist supporting cultures to promote connection, compassion, and community in business. She is a leadership facilitator, speaker, and author of three best-selling books: "The Business of Kindness," "Four Generations-One Workplace," and "Turning Compassion into Action." Olivia lives in Vancouver, Canada.
Online Resources
Akshya Trust .
Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) .
Charter for Compassion .
Desmond Tutu .
Future World Giving: Building Trust in Charitable Giving  is a report from the Charities Aid Foundation.
Future World Giving: Enabling an Independent Not-For-Profit Sector  is a report from the Charities Aid Foundation.
Future World Giving: Unlocking the Potential of Global Philanthropy  is a report from the Charities Aid Foundation.
Golden Rule and Business Ethics  from Scarboro Missions.
Golden Rule Project .
Greater Good Science Center .
Helping, Fixing, or Serving? Â by Rachel Naomi Remen.
Narayanan Krishnan .
Print Resources
Keltner, D. (2009). Born to be good â The science of a meaningful life. New York: W.W. Norton.
Luks, A, & Payne, P. (2001). The healing power of doing good: The health and spiritual benefits of helping others. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.com.
McIvor, O. (2012). Turning compassion into action: A movement toward taking responsibility. Lions Bay, BC, Canada: Fairwinds Press.
McIvor, O. (2014). The business of kindness: Twelve habits of collaborative cultures. Lions Bay, BC, Canada: Fairwinds Press.
Post, S., & Neimark, J. (2007). Why good things happen to good people . New York: Broadway Books.
Wattles, J. (1966). The Golden Rule . Oxford, United Kingdom. Oxford University Press.
Zak, P. (2012). The moral molecule. New York: Penguin Press.
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Charity is done for the benefit, assistance, and relief of people in need. For instance, providing the victims of war, natural disasters, epidemics, poverty, with food, shelter, medical assistance, and other basic needs. When carried out selflessly, it is a one-way act where an individual gives and asks for nothing in return. The essay elaborates on this proverb and discusses its different interpretations while answering an important question: Is our interpretation of the proverb flawed?
Long essay on charity begins at home in 600 words.
Charity is a commonly quoted but rarely practiced virtue. Life leaves us with little scope to understand anything beyond the narrow view of our vested interests. We forget that true happiness is beyond the definitions of owning and possessing and that It is the spiritual consciousness of defining various moments in our lives with love, grace, and gratitude.
The proverb âCharity Begins at Homeâ can be interpreted in two different ways.
The first interpretation is that oneâs family comes first and their first duty is for their family and friends whereas the other interpretation is that kids learn charity first in their home. Charity is an act of humanitarianism that involves providing for the ones in need selflessly. Compassion and empathy shouldnât be reserved for the ones we know.
People speculate that the phrase âCharity Begins at homeâ is biblical, but the exact origin is still debated. It is said that this proverb is expressed in the King James Bible, verse 1 Timothy 5:4. This verse hints towards the second interpretation of the proverb, that one should learn piety at home. It implies that charity doesnât necessarily mean giving goods or money, sometimes itâs being there for someone when they need someone to talk to, providing them comfort in tough times, even sharing food with the starved is a small act of charity. These minute gestures teach us compassion and empathy. The same idea was expressed in âOf prelatesâ in 1382 by John Wyclif whereas the first person to put the phrase in the form we use now was Sir Thomas Browne in Religio Medici, 1642.
Since its existence, our world has been unequal in every way, guaranteeing the existence of rich and poor, strong and weak people living together. While poverty is extreme and widespread, let's not forget just how many rich and wealthy individuals are capable of giving in the developed world. It's high time we need to realize the power we have when pooled together in our hands.
Charity, however, originates from the heart as you feel the urge to give, starts from home, and eventually extends to others in society. Kids learn what they see around them. They absorb and mimic everything their parents or the adults around them do. The best way to teach them compassion and empathy is to practise it around them. Home is the first place where the childâs character and personality are developed and it plays a major role in making them charitable. Showing them the importance of charity at a young age will make them cherish those values when they grow old and also pass them down to their children. We can only teach ourselves the attitude of becoming kind to strangers by being sympathetic to our family.
In conclusion, we can say that the two interpretations of the proverb âCharity Begins at Homeâ are closely interlinked. Basically, the proverb states that one learns compassion, empathy, and the joy of giving at home, and they perform charity towards their own family, in the first place. It can be something as small as sharing their food or listening to a family member in need, hence a childâs first charity is practised at home. Our prior understanding of the proverb was a bit flawed as it meant that our family is our top priority when it comes to charity. Our family is supposed to be the starting point and not the end of our charity. The proverb figuratively implies that every act of charity begins not in a grand scheme, but in one's home.
The realization that all the areas of life are dependent on one another, provides us with an understanding of how to be charitable. When it comes to health, by eating well, exercising, and sleeping optimally, you practice charity by being kind to yourself. Charity begins at home when it comes to your family, by loving and supporting them unconditionally. You can practice charity when it comes to work by training and mentoring someone at work or serving clients from the heart and not out of obligation or money. Simply listening to a friend is a form of charity, when your friend is in distress. You can be charitable to yourself when it comes to learning by taking time out for your personal development. Finally, by donating whatever you can afford to a charity whose mission resonates deeply within you, you can demonstrate charity when it comes to wealth. An individual has always been able to flaunt, preach, and educate others about the values of human beings who are kind, generous, and charitable. However, if that individual does not practice the same qualities that they preach about in themselves, their actions and words have no value or significance. Thus, we can conclude that If you want to bring about a change in the world, you should first change yourself and your loved ones.
An individual can never be patient and forbearing with others except if one is able to foster this attitude at home. It is unquestionably very much easier to bear with the weaknesses of those we love. Once you begin to pursue sympathy with your kith and kin, you will find it easier to do so with others. The home is the centre, and hence let the goodness that is within you radiate from the centre in ever-widening circles.
1. Does the proverb âCharity begins at homeâ mean that we should prioritize our family first when it comes to charity?
No, when it comes to charity, the first ones on the list should be the ones who genuinely need it the most, not your family or whom you love the most. One can help others in need without depriving their family, it is very much possible. Compassion and empathy donât come with eligibility criteria and they shouldnât. The phrase hints towards the idea that the best way to instill the values of compassion in a child is to surround them with the idea at their home itself. As already mentioned in the essay, âOur family is supposed to be the starting point and not the end of our charity.â
2. Are only rich people capable of doing charity?
No, one has to be rich only in terms of compassion and empathy when it comes to charity. Charity does not mean only donating money. It can include a service or giving things or food to the ones who desperately need them. It can be something as minute as providing someone with days worth of food or clothes to cover themselves. It can include listening to someone in distress. One does not need to be a millionaire to be compassionate. Charity also means providing a child with education or taking care of a pup in need. Itâs not limited to humans, it is not limited to donating money. All it takes is the will and ability to empathize and be compassionate.
Students are often asked to write a paragraph on Charity in their schools. And if youâre also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 200-word, and 250-word paragraphs on the topic.
Letâs take a lookâŠ
Charity means helping others who need it. Itâs like sharing your toys with a friend who doesnât have any. We can give things, like clothes we donât wear anymore, or food to those who are hungry. We can also give our time to help, like cleaning a park or reading to someone who canât see. Giving to charity makes us feel good inside and it makes the world a nicer place to live. Just like sharing an apple makes two people happy, charity makes both the giver and receiver happy. Everyone can do charity, no matter how small.
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Charity is a beautiful act of kindness that involves giving help to those in need. This help can come in many forms such as money, clothes, food, or even your time. A person who gives to charity shows love and care for others. This act of love does not always mean giving money or things. It can also mean spending time with people who feel lonely or helping someone learn a new skill. Some people give to charity because they want to make the world a better place. They believe that even a small act of kindness can bring a big change. Other people give to charity because they feel happy when they see others happy. They take joy in seeing the smiles on the faces of those they have helped. There are many ways to give to charity. You can give directly to people you know who need help. You can also give to organizations that help many people. The important thing is to give with a heart full of love. It does not matter how much you give, but how much love you put into giving. Charity teaches us to think about others and not just about ourselves. It teaches us to share what we have with others. It reminds us that we are all in this world together and that we should help each other. We should all try to give to charity in any way we can, to spread love and kindness in the world.
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Charity is an act of giving and helping those in need. It is often associated with donating money or resources to organizations that serve a particular cause or community. Charitable acts can also include volunteering time and skills to provide assistance and support to individuals or groups facing difficult or challenging circumstances. The purpose of charity is to make a positive impact on the world, by reducing suffering and promoting well-being. Through charitable actions, individuals and organizations can help to create a better future for our global community.
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The word “ charity “, by derivation and in old English means love. But in ordinary modern English it means almsgiving, and in this short essay we must confine ourselves to the later and narÂrower meaning of the word.
Charity in this sense is a virtue extensively practiced and highly esteemed in the East. In India, prior to Independence, it was a common practice for kings and rich men to weigh themselves against gold and silver and to distribute the proceeds among the poor.
This was done by Shivaji, and many others before and after his time. We have in most of our large cities fine monuments of munificent charity in the uniÂversity buildings, colleges, hospitals, convalescent homes and water-fountains, built wholly or partially at the expense of rich citizens, who chose this practical way of showing their love for their native city.
But it must be remembered that it is net only the rich that have the power of being charitable. The Mahabharata tells us that:
Just Heaven is not so pleased with costly gifts,
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Offered in hope of future recompense,
As with the merest trifle set apart,
From honest gains and sanctified by faith,
and that the man “who is not rich but yet can give, will be exalted above the heavens.” Very often the munificent gifts of rich men are made for purposes of ostentation or as a means of gaining favour with Government.
The best charity is that which is done in secret, so that, in the expressive words of the Gospel, the left hand does not know what the right hand does.
It is very necessary to exercise discrimination in the giving of alms. The great object of charity is to relieve misery, and indisÂcriminate charity, by encouraging the trade of begging, actually adds to the misery of the world.
If it were not for the reckless charity of well meaning men, who think it a duty to give a small alms to every beggar they come across, many who now lead a miserable existence as beggars would take to honest work, and become profitable members of society. As ‘Monier Williams’ Indian Wisdom.
things are, they prefer to live an idle life of degradation, and some of them, by begging and imposture, make more money than an honest poor man can earn by hard labour. Such being the case, it is no wonder that so many beggars infest the streets of Bombay and other rich cities.
A rich man who is really determined to do good with his money, should either find out for himself what poor men really deserve help, or, if he has not time to do so, he should give his alms through some charitable society, that has officers appointed for the special purpose of distinguishing between the deserving poor and impudent impostors.
There are also some who require to be reminded that charity begins at home, and that they must not deprive themselves of the means of supporting their own family by profuse charity to strangers who have less claims upon them.
These, then, are the two principal limits to observe in the duty of almsgiving. We must recognize the prior obligation of providing for the necessities of our own family, and we must take care lest by ill-judged distribution of alms we encourage beggary and improvidence with its attendant miseries.
Charity would seem to be least exposed to the second danger, when a subscription is made for unfortunate persons suddenly reduced to ruin by an earthquake, or a storm, or any other calamity against which no foresight could have defended them.
For in such cases there is very great distress to be relieved in the present, and there is little fear of the help given leading in the future to ruinous improvidence or extravagance.
Essay on Charity
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Written by Andy Pearson
Want to become a great charity copywriter? This guide covers the ins and outs of website copy writing: all the practicalities involved in getting words onto your charity website.
If you need help defining your mission, audience, proposition, etc then also check out our guide on how to create a communication plan . If you are thinking about sitemaps and user journeys then try our guide to website content strategy (with a free content strategy template) .
In this guide, youâll get lots of practical tips about writing great content for your charityâs website across the following three chapters.
Charity copywriting : work on a need to know basis.
Focus on what your reader needs to know. Donât add info just because you have it. We recommend allocating one page per issue or question. If you need to show lots of separate points on a single page it is often best to summarise them with short headings and provide links through to more information on subpages.
A great example of a single issue page that resists the temptation to say everything is Macmillanâs âWhat is cancerâ page. This is obviously a complex topic but they keep the page short and easy to understand. How do your pages compare with this one?
Paragraph length is an area where copywriting for the web is different from other forms of writing. If you are proficient at other types of writing this can be a difficult adjustment.
The concept of one idea per paragraph is especially important on the web. Break more complex ideas into smaller chunks that stand alone as a paragraph. Ask yourself what your user really needs to know and cut the rest. A good rule of thumb is that a paragraph should have between 1 and 3 sentences.
This guidance applies to informational content but also to journalistic or persuasive content.
Now you know that we promote short pages and short paragraphs you wonât be surprised to hear that we also recommend short sentences. However, in this area itâs not as simple as âshort is always betterâ. Varying sentence length is a powerful communication technique that can be used to summarise information and provoke action. Short sentences add power when they contrast with longer sentences. Use them intentionally!
Use strong titles.
A good page title will summarise the entire page including the charity’s message and the desired action. You can also use strong titles to break down a longer page into sections. This is a great page title example from Oxfam:
Assume readers wonât read your entire page. Make sure that your key points are in the first two paragraphs, and that the most important information can be deduced from your sub-headings, titles and bullet points.
This âwhat you can doâ page from NSPCC is a great example. The single paragraph summary and informative titles communicate the key messages quickly. The reader understands where to go next without relying on the text below the headings or the images (though both add context and depth).
If you favour the active voice your content will be easier to understand. This is a powerful copywriting technique.
Donât worry if youâve never heard of these terms before. They are simply terms that help you understand alternative methods of sentence construction. To know whether you are writing in the active or passive voice, first identify the subject of the sentence. The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something.
Next, decide if the subject is doing the action or being acted upon. With an active voice the subject is doing the action; with a passive voice the subject is being acted on. Here are some examples:
Passive: Our work (subject) is sustained (action) by our members. vs Active: The money (subject) given (action) by you changes lives.
Passive: Our members (subject) sustain (action) our work. vs Active: Your donation (subject) changes (action) lives.
The web is rarely the place for flowery language. Most charities have a broad audience who are coming to them for information or inspiration rather than stimulating language. Just because you understand the word doesnât mean your audience will!
This readability tool runs a series of automated tests on your page. You can use this as an objective measure of your writingâs accessibility.
Calls to action are often neglected when charities write for the web. Why? Because writing good content is hard enough and it is easy, once youâve communicated our point, to leave it at that.
However, neglecting calls to action runs the risk of missing a huge opportunity afforded by your website. In many other mediums, from leaflets to tube posters, there is no guarantee that the reader has the means at their disposal to respond immediately. But when you are writing a web page you have an unrivalled opportunity to anticipate and control the userâs next action.
No matter what content you are writing, always consider the next action. There will always be a next action, even if itâs closing the browser. This should be at the front of your mind.
Mistake #1 = dead-end pages.
Avoid pages that offer no clear direction to subsequent pages.
Avoid pages that provide an overwhelming range of options.
Simply forcing yourself to think through your desired or anticipated next steps for the user is normally enough to lead you to a small and specific selection of actions. By highlighting these next steps clearly you will make your charity website dramatically more user-friendly.
This page on exercise from Parkinsons UK is a good example, offering the user a small range of relevant next steps.
Understand semantic formatting.
If you are not familiar with writing for the web then you may think of formatting as primarily an aesthetic endeavour (i.e. how things look). When writing for the web it is important to start thinking of formatting as primarily a semantic endeavour (i.e. what things mean).
Aesthetic: Headings should be big. vs Semantic: Headings should logically divide and describe the content.
Aesthetic: My page should be colourful to keep it interesting. vs Semantic: I should have a strong and consistent colour for all of my links so that users know which areas of the page are clickable.
Aesthetic: Long chunks of unformatted text are boring. vs Semantic: Long chunks of unformatted text are difficult to scan quickly and do not prioritise the key points.
Website formatting conventions rely heavily on heading levels. The lower the number next to the heading the more important it is. For example, your page title is your heading 1 or âH1â and the next level of headings you use to divide your content into sections are each heading 2 or âH2â.
Headings are particularly important to search engines. Using keywords in your headings will increase your visibility in search engine results when people search for those keywords. It is therefore important to use keywords in your headings where possible. Use H2âs to support your main points, and use H3-H5 only where necessary on longer pieces of content (like this guide). There should only be one H1 per page, (the page Title) so never use H1s in the main text body.
For more information specifically on search engine optimisation, check out our guide on that subject.
Headings and subheadings are a key opportunity to get your message across and encourage people to read further. Subheadings should be used wherever possible.
The ideal length for the page title is anywhere between 30-60 characters. Anything longer than this will be cropped in search engine results, so ensure that if you do write longer page titles they still make sense when cropped to the first 60 characters. Donât be afraid of long subtitles either, though these will often be shorter than the page title.
Bold should be used to add emphasis to one or two particularly important words in your content, for example, a term you are defining.
Italic is a subtler way to add emphasis to your text but be aware that it can make text hard to read on many digital displays. Used carefully, italic can helpfully distinguish quotes or captions.
Never use underline. On some websites, the stylesheet may automatically add an underline to link text but you should never add this manually because it can give users the impression the underlined text should be a link.
Make sure any bullet points are in the same tense and verb form, with any common information in the preceding sentence.
Do this…
Our members receive:
Not this…
Our members:
Try to avoid writing out the full URL and instead add meaningful link text and configure this text to point to the URL. Where possible the link text you add should maintain the natural flow of the text. An exception to this guidance is where, at the end of the content or in particular areas, you list out a range of actions for the user.
Once you’ve made good progress on your written copy you may wish to improve other areas of your online communications. Our resources library contains a wide range of free resources for charities and membership organisations.
Get our best resources for membership organisations straight to your email inbox.
It had all the drama of a nail-biting Super Bowl, appropriately topped with a confetti-filled victory celebration.
The family duo of Alan Barinholtz (who played the fake judge in Amazon's 2023 reality prank TV hit "Jury Duty" ) and comedic actor son Ike Barinholtz hit peak "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" by answering each of the 15 questions correctly to win the $1 million prize for charity. It marked the first $1 million win in this 25th anniversary season, which features celebrity-paired contestants.
"Mindy Project" star Ike, 47, who has three daughters, tried to convey the emotional magnitude of the familial feat.
"Had there been confetti in the hospital room, I would have given the birth of my children as the hard No. 1 significant event in my life," Ike tells USA TODAY. "But with the confetti, this just felt bigger than anything I had ever been a part of."
That's a comedic exaggeration, of course.
But the "Millionaire" victory was sublime, made sweeter with a dash of Redemption Tour.
Ike says he "choked" answering the $250,000 question in 2020, ending a solo appearance on the previous season of the primetime celebrity "Millionaire" (Wednesdays, 8 EDT/PDT) with host Jimmy Kimmel.
"I was Ike's Lifeline on that episode. So I semi-blew it too, and I wanted to redeem myself," says Alan. "But I still thought if we could crack $125,000 this time, that would still be golden."
The veteran lawyer Alan studied, sharpening his skills by watching hours of ABC's original "Millionaire" with host Regis Philbin on YouTube weeks before the appearance. It paid off as the duo breezed through the opening questions. Ike even immediately knew the $250,000 question, correctly naming Dan Aykroyd as the movie star who randomly appeared in the music-star-filled video for the 1985 charity single "We Are the World."
"I just remember as a kid watching 'We Are the World' and being like, 'Why is Ray Stantz from 'Ghostbusters' there? I didn't understand," says Ike.
With progressively more challenging questions, the biggest test came in the doozy of the final $1 million offering: "The highest value three-letter Scrabble word is 'zax.' Which is what?"
The duo used their Ask the Audience Lifeline and were still tortured with uncertainty. But using their final Lifeline, Ask the Host, Kimmel revealed himself to be a Scrabble buff who had recently used "zax" in a game.
He urged them to pick "D," a tool for cutting roof slates. Kimmel said he felt "very strongly" that was the correct answer. Ike wasn't so sure.
"There is a world where Jimmy was just wrong and would have been like 'I'm so sorry' afterward," says Ike. "And another thought swimming around my head then is that Jimmy has a long history of pranking me. It would have been crazy, but to me, there was a 5% chance that Jimmy was messing with me about Scrabble knowledge."
Kimmel was not pranking and not wrong. After a forever pause (13 seconds!) to build more TV tension, the show computer revealed the answer was indeed "D," and the Barinholtzes were triumphant. The mild-mannered Alan unleashed a victory cry and held his head like it might explode as the confetti fell.
The $1 million prize will be donated to The American Sign Language program at Los Encinos School, which the son of "American Auto" actor Jon Barinholtz, Ike's brother, attends.
Ike, who often plays loveable, dimwitted characters, has proven he rolls with genius in real life. He won "Celebrity Jeopardy!" in February 2023 while placing as a semifinalist â and the only celebrity player â in the 2024 "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions.
"The way 'Millionaire' builds to harder questions, the tension you're feeling from questions 12 through 15 is greater than any pressure you're feeling on 'Jeopardy!' " says Ike. "And you have Jimmy, the 'Millionaire' host, smirking at you a little bit. You just don't want to go home."
That Kimmel smirk was replaced by tears of joy in the victory celebration.
"Afterwards, Jummy gave me a huge hug and even he was getting emotional," says Ike. "It was all just so wonderful. And again, there was confetti. Confetti is just a game changer."
She sealed her legacy with four medals at the Paris Games. She created it by being herself and going at her own pace.
Credit... Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times
Supported by
By Juliet Macur
Juliet Macur, who has covered Simone Bilesâs career since Biles was 18, reported from Paris.
To end the Olympics she once thought would never happen for her, Simone Biles began her floor exercise routine on Monday and did what she was made to do: flip and twist and thrill an arena filled with people there to watch her.
Every time Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, landed one of her wildly difficult tumbling passes, the crowd seemed to shout, âWow!â all at once. And when she was done, standing alone on the floor in her sparkly leotard, the spectators rose to honor her â perhaps as much for her entire career as for a brilliant but flawed floor routine.
Biles stepped out of bounds twice during the routine, which was by far the most difficult that any of the finalists attempted. As a result, she did not win, as expected. Instead, she received the silver medal, while Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, her rival, won the gold by just over three one hundredths of a point. The American Jordan Chiles, one of Bilesâs close friends, won the bronze.
When Chilesâs bronze medal was announced, she cried â and Biles smiled and laughed while hugging her.
Three years earlier, Biles withdrew from nearly all of her events at the Tokyo Games after becoming disoriented in the air, a moment that prompted her to consider quitting the sport. On Monday, she finished the Paris Games with three gold medals and one silver. (Earlier in the day, she finished fifth on the balance beam after losing points because of a fall.)
Her imperfect final performances did little to dull her luster at these Games. On each day she competed, celebrities dotted the stands, making gymnastics â already a marquee sport of the Olympics â seem like the hippest club in Paris. There were Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise and Ariana Grande, and sports legends like Serena Williams, Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry. After a day at the water polo venue, Flavor Flav, the rapper, said how much he admired Biles and wanted âto meet her, shake her hand and give her a hug and tell her how proud I am of her.â
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Students are often asked to write an essay on Charity in their schools and colleges. And if you're also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.
Why Charity is Important in Society. Charity, with its far-reaching impact, stands as a beacon of hope in a world facing multifaceted challenges. This essay delves into the profound importance of charity in fostering positive social change, emphasizing its role in addressing societal issues and creating a more equitable and compassionate world ...
This essay explores the multifaceted significance of donating to charity, encompassing individual well-being, societal impact, and the broader implications for global development.
500+ Words Essay on Charity Begins at Home Charity begins at home it is a true saying as someone that cannot love her/his family then how can that person love someone else. This proverb is a lesson for all of us and Charity does and should begin at home.
The impact of charity work is immeasurable, as it can transform the lives of those in need. Giving to charitable causes can also provide a sense of satisfaction and purpose, benefiting the giver as much as the receiver. In this article, we'll explore the role of charity in society, the significance of generosity, and the power of compassion.
Looking for a good essay, research or speech topic on Charity? Check our list of 103 interesting Charity title ideas to write about!
Free essay examples on Charity Use Paperap essay samples for inspiration Also you can get help from our expert writers with Charity essay
Students are often asked to write an essay on Charity Begins at Home in their schools and colleges. And if you're also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.
One of the most important reasons why charity is important is because it can teach the next generation about generosity. Charity helps promote good values and helps children understand how to help others. This can inspire them to do good deeds in the future and make them more compassionate, community-focused people.
Importance of Charity in Public Welfare I want to talk about some of my personal feelings and gains. I have always had a lot of confusion about charity. I always feel that charitable organizations only use the name of charity to make some people profit from it. Some people who love the community are good. The money is always inevitable, and it has been misappropriated. Moreover, I believe that ...
Essay on Charity Charity A Charity is an organisation that exists to enable one group of people to help another. It can sometimes be for animals or nature. Many of the best known charities were set up by people who felt passionate about a situation that they believed was wrong or preventable.
A passionate soul in helping others, Timothy believes that charity is a way of "giving back to society and to the world", and "making the world a better place for everyone". "People who don't do charity work are missing out big time because you do get enormous satisfaction knowing that you have helped other people.
Students are often asked to write an essay on Raise Money For Charity in their schools and colleges. And if you're also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.
Essay Examples on Charity. Cover a wide range of topics and excel academically today. Start now đ for FREE!
Why is charity important? This essay will try to answer the question. Charity is an act of benevolence. It is the practice of giving and sharing what we have with those who do not have. It means voluntary giving your help to those who need it. Acts of charity could be in form of cash, material gifts, quality time or kind words. It could be in the form of providing basic necessities like food ...
Based on your individual experiences, you may have your own meaning for the word charity, or charitable behavior. The definition that we shall use for this section of the Community Tool Box is that charitable behavior creates feeling, which leads one to act voluntarily with kindness or goodwill towards another.
976 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. Charity A Charity is an organisation that exists to enable one group of people to help another. It can sometimes be for animals or nature. Many of the best known charities were set up by people who felt passionate about a situation that they believed was wrong or preventable.
Short Essay on Charity Begins at Home in 200 Words The realization that all the areas of life are dependent on one another, provides us with an understanding of how to be charitable.
View our collection of charity essays. Find inspiration for topics, titles, outlines, & craft impactful charity papers. Read our charity papers today!
Paragraph on Charity in 250 Words. Charity is a beautiful act of kindness that involves giving help to those in need. This help can come in many forms such as money, clothes, food, or even your time. A person who gives to charity shows love and care for others. This act of love does not always mean giving money or things.
Discover FREE essays on Charity to understand writing styles, structures, and find new ideas. Explore the largest database of free samples on StudyMoose.
632 Words Short Essay on Charity. The word " charity ", by derivation and in old English means love. But in ordinary modern English it means almsgiving, and in this short essay we must confine ourselves to the later and narÂrower meaning of the word. Charity in this sense is a virtue extensively practiced and highly esteemed in the East.
This guide covers the ins and outs of website copy writing: all the practicalities involved in getting words onto your charity website.
Alan and Ike Barinholtz take $1 million top "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" prize as host Jimmy Kimmel helps with final question: What's a zax?
Many people want to kill the Saudi leader, but is he using such threats as a means to get the U.S. to pressure Israel on a future Palestinian state?
The United States faces two distinct challenges, the movement by Republicans who refuse to accept defeat in an election and a growing disconnect between political power and public opinion.
The American Jordan Chiles, one of Biles's close friends, won the bronze. When Chiles's bronze medal was announced, she cried â and Biles smiled and laughed while hugging her.