It all adds up - One day at a time

In a previous blog, I wrote about $10 donations adding up to something substantial. I'm going to break that down even more now. Every night, I empty the change in my pockets into my Coin Jar. Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters. It all goes in. Last night, I decided to count my stash. In the past few months (when I previously emptied the jar) I stashed away over $31 in coins! $31 is not a monster amount, but it is significant. Literally, a nice chunk of change!

It's easy to not care about the few coins we have left over in our pocket each day. Its nothing. Paltry. Insignificant. But that's where small steps build into something big. So too with other aspects of our life.

Sometimes, we can view a task in front of us as challenging and looming. We're scared to begin. Instead of looking at the big mountain in front of us, we need to look at each component separately. Each part by itself is manageable. So that should be our approach.

One piece at a time. One step at a time. One day at a time.

When looking to make changes in our lives: diet, more time with family, read more, learn more, make small goals. Then proceed slowly and deliberately. Slowly, you will see progress, and substantial progress.

We value every second of life. Every breath is an opportunity to accomplish. No matter how small an accomplishment may seem, it is still an accomplishment and needs to be valued. This is a lesson that at HFBA, we try and impart to our clients.

And with our donors, we value every penny. It all adds up.

So today, start something small. A donation, time with your kids, more time in study. But take that first step. Come back to me in a few months. What you've collected will have added up to something big.

The value of a $10 donation

Last year, several letters landed on my desk from students doing research projects on non-profits. One of the questions that the students asked was "What will a $10 donation do for your agency?" This got me to thinking...what does $10 accomplish?

I don't think they would've wanted to hear that $10 will buy some pens that we need in the office. Or that it would pay for 66% of a $15 death certificate. While both answers are true, I'm not sure that was the intent of the question. After thinking about it, I decided to run a report on all of the $10 donations that the Hebrew Free Burial Association received the previous year. That year, HFBA received 1,136 $10 donations. Grand Total: $11,360.

Walking on 7th Avenue in New York City, there are people collecting money in large buckets for food for the homeless. They call out above the noise of NYC, "One penny! Just one penny to feed the homeless." One penny will NOT feed the homeless. But my penny, plus the next person's penny, and the extra generous person's dollar all add up. Together, the people of New York will feed the homeless.

The same applies to the $10 donations to HFBA. One $10 donation won't bury someone. But put together, all of our $10 donors enabled us to bury 6 indigent Jews. That is something to be proud of.

The temptation exists to minimize our good deeds. "I ONLY gave $10. It's not like I gave $100." Or, "I gave someone a ride, what's the big deal? " This is a destructive attitude. It is important to realize that all of the good we do is important. It makes us better people, while helping those around us.

The next time you give a donation to a charity, regardless of the amount, don't underestimate its importance. Your donation is important!