International Day Of Charity: Making A Difference

Gandhi said it best: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Giving back is something that every person has done in one way or another. Whether it be by helping a friend, giving donations, spending time volunteering, or another act of service, good things come when you do good things! To help spread the word about the goodness of charity, you can take part in the International Day of Charity.

When And What Is International Day Of Charity?

On September 5th, join the world and celebrate Charity Day. International Day of Charity is one of the United Nations’ international days that exist to raise awareness or spread the word so that the whole world can take part in something together. Like the name implies, this day is all about charity, or the act of giving back.

Funnily enough, this day overlaps with International Cheese Pizza Day, so you can do two good things at once and donate a cheese pizza or buy one as an act of kindness for your friends!

Photo by Matt Marzorati on Unsplash

History Behind The International Day Of Charity

Each international day comes with its own unique history. Charity Day began in Hungary as a civil society to honor Mother Teresa’s death.

Born in 1910, Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu dedicated herself to religion at age 12. When she was 18 years old, she left home to become a missionary in Ireland and learn English. Thereafter, she moved to India and became a Catholic nun.

In 1948, she became a citizen of India and gave herself to the cause of helping the poorest people in the country. She went on to open hospices, leper houses, orphanages, and even established a congregation.

The establishment of her congregation helped to grow into many charitable organizations that brought her dedication to giving to communities around the globe. Sadly, she passed in 1997, but her life dedicated to giving back has left an indelible memory and has been a source of inspiration for people to this day.

To honor her remarkable impact, the Hungarian Parliament and Government created the International Day of Charity in 2011. The day represents the anniversary of her death. In 2012, the UN declared it to be an international holiday.

Where Do People Celebrate The Day?

People celebrate Charity Day all over. Both the UN and independent charities hold events to honor the special day. The great thing about charity and giving back is that you can do it in both big and small ways, any day of the year.

But, when it’s an international day of recognition, it’s nice to know that you’re taking action alongside people all around the world.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Ways To Celebrate

How can you celebrate International Day of Charity? However you see fit!

Some ways to get involved are:

• Volunteer: Sign up to volunteer at a charity or organization of your choice. Some fun volunteering activities may involve: teaching kids, planting trees, visiting a hospice, selling used goods for a non-profit, writing grants, etc. If you have a passion for education, you can see what volunteer opportunities are available at the University of the People.
• Donate: You can donate your time or money. No matter how you choose to donate, you’ll be making a difference.
• Attend A Charity Event: Many nonprofits and for-profit businesses will host charity events as fundraisers. Either all or some of the proceeds are then donated to a specified cause. You can sign up to attend one of these events and know you’re giving back!

Ways To Give Back

Here are a few more ways you can give back on September 5 and any other day!

• Build Homes For The Needy: Put some skin in the game and help to build homes for the needy.
• Mentoring: Sign up for a mentorship program and work with kids or fellow peers in school to help them advance and achieve their goals.
• Care For Animals: Animal shelters are always in need of extra hands. Work at an animal shelter and help to take care of the animals.
• Random Acts Of Kindness: Pay it forward through random acts of kindness, like paying for the person’s groceries behind you, delivering some tasty treats to a neighbor, helping a stranger fix their tire, etc.
• Spread The Word About Causes: Use your voice and platform to get vocal about causes to care about! Share the word about International Day of Charity with your family and friends. You can even set up a GoFundMe to crowdsource donations.

Giving Back For Good

Inspired by Mother Teresa, the International Day of Charity aims to raise awareness and boost involvement for giving back to the community and the world. If everyone does one small action to make a difference, big changes will come. Get involved by taking part on September 5!