“’Tis’ better to give than receive.”
Even the better read among us might think that statement came from social reformer Charles Dickens, whose tale of Scrooge we celebrate this time of year, but it is much older than that. The phrase is from a verse in the New Testament.
And there appears to be a scientific reason for that. The words are apparently stuck in our brains. Brain scanning research is showing generosity is a built-in trait.
A team led by Jordan Grafman, chief of the Cognitive Neuroscience Section the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, studies aspects of the human brain that set people apart from other species. They studied areas of the human brain involved in donating – since only people donate.
They asked 19 healthy people to perform certain menial tasks in a computer game during a brain scan. The game dispensed cash rewards and asked the players to donate to charity. Their brains revealed everyone liked getting money, but they showed more pleasure donating to charity than getting cash. Their brains showed signs similar to that of dopamine, a chemical known to trigger feelings of pleasure and reward, and that is associated with motivation to seek (or crave) food, drugs or love.
All of which is a good thing these days – because the need for giving has never been greater.
The Wellington Advertiser did a survey of places that provide the needy with a decent Christmas. At one food bank, the answering machine was full – a sure sign of need in that community. That is symptomatic of the situation across the county, with everyone saying the need this year is greater than ever.
But the question for the survey was not about the need, which seems to be a given, but who it is that donates time and money to make sure families have a decent Christmas.
Glenna Pengelly, of the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington said, “It’s basically everyone you can imagine.”
The foundation provides an Adopt a Family service where it asks for people to sponsor Christmas hampers that contain a $25 food certificate for each member of the family (to ensure a holiday meal), three gifts for each child and a gift for each parent.
Who provides those hampers? “It’s interesting how different groups handle it,” Pengelly said, noting donors range from three different hockey teams, book clubs and big and small businesses, to a Brownie troupe in Rockwood, children’s activity groups and individual donors.
Some businesses shop together, some collect from each employee, or the management does it on its own. She said there are many churches and, “We have several schools.”
Pengelly said it is “harder to find sponsors” for larger families, so “Every little bit helps.”
The Community Resource Centre based in Fergus uses that hamper program and forwards requests from Centre Wellington, Mapleton, Wellington North and Minto.
Manager of outreach and support services Naomi Melnick said at the centre there are 104 names on the hamper list this year. “There’s lots of organizations and companies that adopt a family,” she said.
In Mount Forest, the food bank is busy.
Doris Tone said donors include “factories, schools, service clubs, churches. They’re very generous. I can’t believe how generous people are.”
She said students at Wellington Heights stay up all night creating art, then sell it at an auction and donate the money to the food bank.
Principal Brian Serafini said there are numerous activities from a silent auction to a polar bear dip through the help of the local fire department.
Last year, Wellington Heights Secondary School raised $20,000 for the township’s needy. The school runs daily activities all through December, That’s all to the good because, as Tone noted, the demand this year is “higher than it was. It’s working poor. A lot of minimum wage workers.”
Bev May said in Harriston, the big donors are the service clubs. “Big time, Lions and Kinsmen,” she said, noting that Harriston and Palmerston work together and there is a combined Optimist club in the towns that helps out. She said there are several churches involved in giving, and the local Legion always pitches in. And, May added, “There’s always private citizens.”
Norwell District Secondary School holds two drives that are student based. The Christmas toy and food drive collects for the local food banks. The winter coat and clothing drive is run by the Interact Club and the results are passed along to the Salvation Army, free stores, and food banks.
In Drayton, Tammy Kuper has handed over duties for the food bank to others, but she ran it for the past three years, and knows who gives. She said the Drayton Kinsmen and Optimist Club of Moorefield are big supporters, and all the schools in the area become involved, from the public to the private ones.
“It’s mostly food – and hats and mittens for kids,” she said, adding if there is a greater need, such as gifts for children, the food bank takes names and sends them to the Community Resource Centre in Fergus, which passes it along to the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington.
East Wellington Community Services (EWCS) provide help for the needy in Erin and Guelph-Eramosa Township.
Gillian Riseborough said of the need this year, “It’s endless.”
EWCS provides Christmas hampers that are sponsored, and those sponsorships come from companies, organizations and individuals. The hampers provide a Christmas breakfast and dinner, and gifts for each member of the family. The recipients also receive their regular food bank supplies plus hats, mittens and treats.
Riseborough, like everyone else interviewed for this article, was reluctant to name too many individuals or groups – for fear “of missing somebody.” She said the area’s schools and service clubs are an integral part of the program, and the fire department “is huge.” Churches help, and so do many individuals.
She said, “Everybody gets involved,” adding volunteers are no problem either, because people make a “fantastic commitment. You have no choice. You have to make sure that everyone who approaches us has to have a Christmas.”
Last year, there were 52 hampers; this year already, organizers have received 32 requests. EWCS started handing out hampers on Dec. 13. It delayed its move to the new medical centre until January.
Erin District High School vice principal Steve Ratz said students have already started collecting food. He has seen several boxes sitting in classrooms.
In Centre Wellington, Fred Aleksandrowicz needs an army of volunteers and donors to meet the needs of all of those who need help – and he usually gets it.
“Money and food is the bulk of it,” he said in an interview. “The money comes from businesses in the community.”
He named two in particular, and then asked that their names not be used. To list everyone would take a telephone book.
“A lot of money comes from local individuals,” he added. “During our food drives, people donate a lot of money.”
Some of those donors might not even know they did, but if they donate to the United Way, it provided $15,000 to $17,000 for food hampers this year.
Aleksandrowicz said the list of supporters is nearly endless, starting with service clubs like the two Rotary Clubs, Fergus and Elora Lions, Kinsmen, the local Legions and the Grand River Agricultural Society, which provides an annual Christmas dinner where toys are given to kids. Operators of both Santa Claus parades support food bank collections along the route.
There are company toy drives and a seniors’ community gets involved with its events. Debbie Ostic runs the Angels program that collects sponsors for needy families and, “People just walk in.”
Aleksandrowicz said the food bank has over 70 volunteers, including the dozen people on the board of directors. A number of food bank clients also volunteer their time there.
“All the banks do something for us,” he added, as well as all the grocery stores in the township. There was a recent stuff-a-bus event at Zehrs and Price Chopper and L&M contribute. The OPP Auxiliary holds a stuff-a-cruiser event.
Aleksandrowicz said many smaller companies are coming on board, often at the behest of their employees, and many places collect donations and send them to the food bank.
“The churches do a hell of a lot,” Aleksandrowicz said, smiling at the description. “They really do a lot.”
Local schools are also involved. Centre Wellington District High School runs two programs for donations, and most of the elementary schools pitch in, too.
Aleksandrowicz said many farmers get involved by providing fresh produce, and farmers’ markets and stores also provide food.
So, the answer to the question of who gives can probably be summed up by saying, as those interviewed did, “Just about everybody does.”
All those interviewed cited the generosity of their communities. Aleksandrowicz said he believes Centre Wellington is one of the most generous places in all of North America.
It ought to give people a good feeling, and if that brain scan research is accurate, it probably does.
