Big Thank You To Contributors Helping Others

Northwest Arkansas has a long history of giving, and there’s no reason to believe those philanthropic contributions won’t continue into 2014.

When we hear a word like philanthropy, many of us tend to think of the six- and seven-figure donations made by families or employees who have made their millions (or more) from the major companies that call Northwest Arkansas home. And thank goodness for the generosity of those folks, who have made a real difference in people’s lives and in the livability of the region.

But let’s take a look atthe word. Philanthropy, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “goodwill to fellow members of the human race; an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes.” No where in that definition does it suggest the gift has to be huge. Indeed, organizations that depend on the compassionate giving of others know a few dollars here and a few dollars there can produce significant results when focused on community needs.

When Jesus sat down and watched people in the crowd putting their ofterings into the temple treasury, as recorded in Mark 12: 41-44, he saw a poor widow put in two small coins, worth only a few cents. He described what he witnessed to his disciples: “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”

For those who tossed pocket change into the Salvation Army kettles in the weeks leading to Christmas, we say thank you. To all of those who “adopted” angel tree kids and made sure they had gifts and food available to them at Christmas, thank you. To those who worked to ensure area food banks had contributions that could be spread around to those in need, thank you. To those who recognize the needs do not disappear after the holidays are over and give of their time and money, thank you.

At NWA Media, we’re honored to be able to provide a vehicle for giving in our annual Community Christmas Card. On Christmas Day, readers saw a page filled with names of donors, each of whom gave at least $2. The combined eftort as of Tuesday had produced $16,512 that will be distributed in early 2014 to local school districts where those donors live. The school districts in turn use the money throughout the year to come to the aid of children in need, whether it’s a youngster who needs shoes or a coat or a teen whose family cannot aftord a bed for him to sleep on.

The money goes through the tax-deductible cofters of the Endeavor Foundation, a community organization focused on supporting projects and programs in Northwest Arkansas through grants. NWA Media pays all processing fees, meaning 100 percent of donations reach the programs in area school districts where they can serve those humanitarian purposes.

Thank you so much to all those who donated.

And we remind all as this new year gets under way that responding to the needs of students, families and community needs isn’t just a holiday matter. We encourage everyone to look into their budgets to see what kind of contributions can be made at other times throughout the year when the needs are just as great.

Philanthropy is its own reward, but we nonetheless want to express our appreciation to Northwest Arkansas’ givers.