Tuesday, November 29 is a special day for the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF) and for our charitable partners across the region – it is GivingTuesday.

GivingTuesday is acknowledged around the world as a day for global giving. Its purpose is as simple and uncomplicated as it gets: to encourage people to do good. Now in its 10th year, GivingTuesday has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate and celebrate generosity.

GivingTuesday is known as the ‘opening day of the giving season’. It is a time when businesses and individuals join together and rally for their favourite causes. In the same way that retailers take part in Black Friday, the giving community comes together for GivingTuesday.

GivingTuesday harnesses the kindness of people around the world to bring about real change in their communities. It provides a platform to encourage the donation of money, but also time, resources and talent. It also brings together the collective power of partnerships – not-for-profits, businesses, corporations, families and individuals to encourage acts of goodwill and generosity.

But, the great thing about goodwill and generosity, is that they don’t have to be saved for just one day.

When I look around, it’s easy to see bitterness and division. But, each of us, through small acts of generosity can change our outlook and maybe even our society. Just one act of kindness a day can not only reduce stress and anxiety, it can improve the well-being of the person you were kind to and inspire those who witnessed the act of kindness to pay it forward.

Whether it is making someone smile, helping a neighbour or stranger out, showing up for a cause or people we care about or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give.

Recently, the foundation received an annual contribution from one of our volunteers. This gift had an ‘extra’ $34.00 tacked onto the amount with a story about how the extra gift came to be. This volunteer had entered several items into the Picton Fair and the homegrown entries were ‘champions’ in many categories. This volunteer shared that donating their winnings was how one champion could support another champion – our hospital’s Care Champions!

This volunteer hopes the small seed they have planted with that story will grow into something bigger and possibly inspire others to give back in creative ways…or maybe encourage more entries into next year’s fair.

The holiday season is fast approaching, though it feels like it is already here in full force. Soon our Christmas appeal letter will be arriving to your mailbox via Canada Post. The letter outlines the need for a new x-ray machine at our hospital. This piece of equipment will cost $595,000. Thanks to Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, donations made to the x-ray machine will be matched dollar for dollar up to $150,000.

That campaign is off to a strong start. In the month since we launched the matching gift incentive with the auxiliary, numerous gifts have been received. We are immensely grateful to those who have already made a contribution.

These are challenging financial times for many, but we can all make an effort to show generosity and share kindness with those around us. I hope you will consider making a gift to the foundation to help us purchase a new x-ray machine for our hospital. Your gift will have double the impact and ensures we can continue to make a difference in healthcare right here at home.

For information about our hospital, or to make a donation call 613-476-1008 ext. 4425, or visit the foundation’s website at www.pecmhf.ca.