We have various motivations for giving to charity, whether we do so in the leadup to Christmastime or at other times of the year.

According to Statistics Canada, the top four identified reasons we give are B次元官网网址渃ompassion for those in need,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址減ersonally believe in a cause,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渢o contribute to my communityB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址減ersonally affectedB次元官网网址� by the cause for which funds are being raised.

As we head into a period when many people consider donating to charity B次元官网网址� an estimated 40 per cent of all donations in a year happen in the final six weeks B次元官网网址� we encourage you, our readers, to take a few moments to think about how and why you might like to give back.

While donating cash to your favourite charity or community service organization can go a long way and makes one feel good B次元官网网址� there are many groups doing impactful work on the West Shore B次元官网网址� not everyone has the means to give money.

Why not check into whether those groups have a need for volunteers at this time of year or in general? The Salvation Army, for example, is looking for people to staff its Christmas kettles in high-traffic areas around Greater Victoria. The Island Equipment Operators Association, which stages the annual Truck Lightup and Food Drive, can always use extra bodies to help along the route.

Many other organizations allow volunteers to work as little or as much as they want.

For charities to survive and continue to provide much-needed services to those in need, itB次元官网网址檚 important for a community to create a culture of giving. Developing such a culture works best if it involves young people.

WeB次元官网网址檝e been inspired in recent years by the selfless volunteer work of Belmont secondary students working on the 10,000 Tonight project (see story in this issue). Last year students, with the help of many other community volunteers, shattered the groupB次元官网网址檚 goal of collecting 10,000 items of non-perishable food. This time around students from the Sooke School DistrictB次元官网网址檚 three high schools, Belmont, Royal Bay and Edward Milne, are taking on the project, which happens next week (Dec. 2).

Whether theyB次元官网网址檝e had giving back modelled for them by parents, peers or others, these young people are well on their way to a lifetime of giving back.

That bodes well for all of us in future.