Giving Back On GivingTuesday In Oak Creek: 30 Days Of Gratitude

OAK CREEK, WI — After a dayslong stretch of shopping and checking holiday gifts off your list, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving offers a moment to pause. It’s a day set aside for Oak Creek residents to focus on gratitude and giving back.

GivingTuesday, observed this year on Nov. 30, is a global movement to inspire hundreds of millions of people to not only give, but to recognize and celebrate the generosity of others.

On this GivingTuesday, an Oak Creek company says it made a donation meant to support pets and their owners, and non-profit organizations across the city are taking part in the day meant for gratitude.

Keep reading for information on Oak Creek organizations that look for donations, tips from the state on how to avoid untrustworthy charities, and a tale about a dog food company in Oak Creek hoping to keep pets fed.

GivingTuesday and its mission also falls effortlessly in with "30 Days Of Gratitude," a Patch series exploring the intentionality of gratitude and how it enriches our lives.

Living with gratitude goes beyond merely being thankful. It doesn't mean pretending bad things don't happen, but rather savoring the goodness, according to experts on the topic, including Robert Emmons, a University of California - Davis psychology professor who is known as the "father of gratitude."

In short, living with gratitude is "an affirmation of goodness" and a recognition of the good in the world as the source of our individual gifts, benefits and blessings.

Gratitude is not singularly focused, Emmons said in a YouTube video for the Greater Good Science Center, but rather recognizes that the sources of goodness are other people who "gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives."

What Is GivingTuesday?

GivingTuesday was created in New York City in 2012 with a simple goal: to encourage people to do good. Over the past nine years, the idea has grown into the global movement it is today.

The goal of GivingTuesday is “radical generosity” — the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable to us as our own suffering, according to the movement’s website.

And people are eager to give. Recent data shows that people are highly motivated to give in 2021 and are giving more in response to needs in their community and to causes they care about.

• Related: Opera Singer ‘Died’ But Lives On As Pianist: 30 Days Of Gratitude

A broad range of people and organizations participate in GivingTuesday, including families, nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, small businesses and corporations.

“Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts,” GivingTuesday’s website reads, “and everyone has something to give.”

Supporting A Local Organization

While GivingTuesday has gained momentum worldwide, there are plenty of organizations and causes to support right here in Oak Creek. GivingTuesday is a day set aside for just that, but these organizations also accept donations year-round. Here are a few:

The Oak Creek Performing Arts and Education Center
340 E. Puetz Road, Oak Creek
oakcreekpaec.com

To donate to the OCPAEC, contact Director Lynnette Hulgan.

The Oak Creek High School Robotics Booster Club
340 E. Puetz Road, Oak Creek
www.1792rtr.com

The Oak Creek Community Center
8580 South Howell Avenue, Oak Creek
occenter.com

How You Can Give

You can participate in a number of ways on GivingTuesday, according to the movement’s website. Here are a few ideas:

Give time: Volunteer virtually from your home. Give your voice to help raise awareness for a local issue, lend your talents to a nonprofit who needs your expertise, or take an hour to call a senior who may be lonely. See more opportunities online.

Give support: GivingTuesday is locally led in more than 240 U.S. communities, networks and coalitions. Find organizations to support through your local GivingTuesday community movement.

Give gratitude: Thank your postal carrier, delivery driver and other essential workers. Write thank-you cards, post on social media, and share your appreciation for the people and organizations who are helping your community.

Oak Creek Company Makes Big Donation For Pets

Stella & Chewy's, a pet food brand based in Oak Creek, pledged a donation for Giving Tuesday that would benefit countless shelter pets across the country, according to a news release from the company.

The donation is part of the company's Journey Home Fund program that seeks to support shelters and adoption. The donation, equivalent to 500,000 pounds of dog and cat kibble, will go to shelters across the country, the news release said.

Shelters in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, California, Oregon and Alabama will benefit from the donation. Some shelters will also distribute kibble at pet food banks in their local communities to help those with pets in need through the end of the year.

"This Giving Tuesday donation from Stella & Chewy's will go a long way in making sure our shelter pets are well-fed for months to come," Kathy Shillinglaw, volunteer and outreach coordinator at Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, said in the news release. "The past year and a half has been tumultuous because of the pandemic, but we've continued helping animals in need and are grateful for support from the community and Stella & Chewy's."