American generosity is a powerful thing.
As we slowly claw our way out of the pandemic era, it’s time to pause for a moment to acknowledge the incredible generosity that has helped us along the way. Delawareans — and Americans across the country — have stepped up and donated time and money to make life a little better for those struggling the most. There are hundreds of stories to tell and dozens of initiatives.
None of what I say here is to ignore the ongoing struggles of so many, nor the ongoing challenges of racial discrimination and economic dislocation. But let’s also not ignore what we have accomplished.
I’m most familiar with the fund we have managed at the Delaware Community Foundation — and I’m looking now at the latest report on the Community Needs Grants Program of the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund. Over 300 foundations, corporations and individuals donated more than $5 million. Over 150 organizations were supported. Dozens of volunteers contributed thousands of hours reviewing the proposals. It’s humbling.
We need big government initiatives — like the CARES Act, the Payroll Protection Program and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
But we would never climb our way out of this hole without the largesse and humanity of those who give.
That collective generosity allowed us to get $10,000 to the Harrington Senior Center to provide safe opportunities for seniors; $6,000 to Sojourners’ Place in New Castle to provide housing and intensive case management for homeless men and women; to First State Community Action Agency, Code Purple of Kent County, the Christina Cultural Arts Center, the Brandywine Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and CAMP Rehoboth; and on and on.
And of course, the fund we manage here — in partnership with Philanthropy Delaware — is only one of many places people are giving. Delawareans are also giving to the Delaware Does More: COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund at the United Way of Delaware, to Donate Delaware, to the Food Bank, to local churches for their relief programs and to so many others.
It would be hard to quantify how many dollars in total have been given to Delaware organizations in their response to COVID-19. But it’s worth celebrating.
And as we celebrate, and keep working through, I encourage all of us to keep it up. And indeed, keep it up not just for the people who obviously need support. But do it for us, too. Research tells us that giving can lower blood pressure, increase our self-esteem, reduce depression, lead to overall lower stress levels, help us live longer and provide greater happiness and satisfaction. We all know the joy we feel when we help somebody else. And science tells us that’s not just illusory. It’s real.
Giving, in fact, is kind of a magic elixir. And it’s magic not just for those who get the gift but also for those who give.
So congratulations to all of us. And thanks to all of us. Let’s keep it up.
Stuart Comstock-Gay is president and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation. For more information about the community response to COVID-19, visit delcf.org/strategic-response-fund-impact.
