The joy of giving

Heather Dowling

Image by 'Red Colander' at www.flickr.com When the bushfires ravaged Victoria early this year, we saw a nation come together to give what they could. And while we felt terrible about what was happening, we felt good that we were able to help.

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At St Stephen’s Primary School in Duncraig, WA, students organised a toy drive to help children who had been affected by the Victorian bushfires. Within a week, they had collected an amazing amount of toys which were trucked off, from Perth to Victoria.

Richard Lane, deputy head of the Uniting Church primary school, said the response from students and families was incredible. “It was absolutely massive. The toys filled my office.”

Toys, especially, are an item that kids can relate to. Richard said the majority of the toys were new and, “They were toys that they would actually like to have themselves.”

Why then, would a group of children want to help another group of children living on the other side of the country?

“Our school motto is to ‘serve God, serve one another’ and we have an active servanthood program,” Richard said. “We are always looking for ways to assist others less fortunate than ourselves.” Image by 'Red Colander' at www.flickr.com

“We felt that the bushfires was a tragic situation where all the children had seen the images on TV. The students said they needed to do something for the children who had lost everything,” he continued. “I was amazed by the generosity of the parents and children.”

Dr Lyndall Steed, senior lecturer at Curtin University's School of Psychology, believes the act of giving is linked to happiness because of a desire within human nature.

“I have a fundamental belief that part of being a human being is contributing to the common good,” she said. “And giving is part of that.”

Group efforts, such as the children’s toy drive, have benefits for those receiving the charity as well as for those giving it.

“When people have a common goal they come together,” Lyndall said. “They overlook differences which they may not have overlooked earlier. Humans function best with a common goal and it fosters acceptance.”

Many well-off people are also setting the right example. A recent UK study by Barclay’s Wealth found that wealthy people are still giving money to worthy causes despite the economic downturn. Some are even giving more, so that donations are kept up.

If everyone is affected by the financial crisis, then surely those who were scraping by before are now barely getting by at all.

“If times are tough for me, then times are tough for someone without a job,” Lyndall said. “In the true notion of giving, it doesn’t matter if times are tough. There is always someone worse off.”

Possibly the best thing about giving is that you don’t have to be a millionaire to make a difference.

“Giving in proportion to what you have is what matters,” Lyndall said. “Nicole Kidman and her husband gave a million dollars, or something like that, to the bushfire victims. But then you have kids emptying out their piggy banks. Those children can say ‘I have done the best I can.’”

When Richard showed the children from St Stevens Primary School, at an assembly, all the toys they had donated, they were able to see how they had made a difference. “The children were really proud, he said. “It was great that they could see what they had achieved.”

“We received a letter of thanks [from the school involved]. The children were able to see that and recognise that the gifts and thoughts and prayers were being accepted with thanks.”

The joy of giving comes from a mixture of things: human nature, gratitude from others and the feeling of achievement — knowing that we have done what we can.

Lyndall believes that while people generally only do things to get a payout for themselves, “The payout is the joy of contributing.”