Bilingual International Assistant Services

This is a story of a BIAS client, Mrs. M, bearing tremendous grief and misfortune. She is an overweight Russian female in her 60’s, showing a row of bad teeth as she strains to smile. Three weeks ago her husband of 25 years collapsed, by the time the ambulance arrived, the 62 year old man was in coma, and within 24 hours he was dead. Ms. M is depressed. She has not been able to cook, clean or even get out of the house since her spouse passed away. At the age of 60, she has little to look forward to as she too suffers multiple physical ailments and is applying for disability after years as a pizza maker at a local shop. Mrs. M asked me to come to see her more often. She finds comfort in telling her story and having not only an empathetic ear but a trained clinician social worker to help her navigate through these difficult times.

The times are indeed difficult. Everything reminds her of her husband: the sofa he used to sleep on, the TV station he used to enjoy, the china he ate from. Following his death, his wife donated his clothes. She is looking to donate his sleep machine so that it’s not thrown away, but is used by someone with sleep apnea, someone who cannot afford such equipment. Mrs. M’s daughter will soon come to help re-arrange the furniture, maybe even purchase a new sofa for her mom as Mrs. M receives only $347.00 a month in Social Security benefit — not enough to even pay her regular bills. And as I sit in her small Section 8 Apartment, as I look at Mrs. M so stoically attempting not to cry while she is telling her story, I realize with pain that many of the reminders of her husband are gone, however his ashes rest in a vase in her bedroom. She cannot afford to bury the ashes and is living with his remains — not by choice, but out of necessity.

Mrs. M. cannot find peace since her husband’s ashes are not buried. While there are many agencies/ entities with funds for public need, there are no funds available to assist with burial. The funds must come from the general public. We encourage you to please donate funds to assist this cause, donate to Mrs.M.

Call us today to make a donation or  through PayPal, located on the “Donate” page.

 

As debate rages in the United States about whether charitable giving will shrink if it’s no longer encouraged by a federal tax deduction, it begs the question of why we assume people make donations in the first place. There’s a growing body of research seeking to answer just that question, and the findings are rich with implications for the nonprofit sector. Among key findings is that generosity deeply aligns with our self-interests, because by nature it benefits donors in tangible ways.

This isn’t to say that pure altruism doesn’t exist. Psychologists observe that some people are better able to empathize with the plight of others. Generosity is also influenced by experiences, such as growing up in a charitable family, or having been personally affected by a tragedy or act of generosity. According to research with very young children, sponsored by the Science of Generosity Initiative at the University of Notre Dame, it’s thought that some people are even genetically predisposed to generosity.

Motives for giving are not always altruistic, however. People give, for example, to create a better public image or to feel better about themselves. And yes, perhaps they give to save money on their taxes.

No matter what the motive, research shows that generosity directly benefits the well-being of those who give. For example, several studies, including one sponsored by the University of British Columbia, provide evidence that people who give are happier than those who don’t. In the UBC study, donating as little as $5 helped people feel better. Another study sponsored by the University of Oregon demonstrated that for many participants, giving activates the same pleasure centers of the brain as receiving—which are also the same brain centers involved with addiction. Furthermore, people who leave money to charity in their wills live three years longer than those who don’t, according to a 2008 study by the U.K. based Fire Services National Benevolent Fund. Finally, several research studies suggest that generosity is associated with popularity. For example, in 2010 Newcastle University researchers created a game based on giving: the more generous participants also accumulated the most gifts back from others.

In other words, generosity brings happiness, longevity and popularity. Could direct appeals to donor self-interest along these dimensions help nonprofits get more results when they solicit donations? Does this angle get in the way of authentically building issue awareness and effective advocacy? What do you think? –Kathi Jaworski