Giving

This holiday season, take a moment to ask yourself, “Does this person really want what I’m buying them?” A new survey finds the answer is likely no! Researchers have found that more than half of Americans (53%) will receive a gift they don’t want.

It turns out that everyday Americans are throwing away tons of money. According to a survey, unwanted presents will reach an all-time high in both volume and cost this year, with an estimated $10.1 billion being spent on gifts headed for the regifting pile.

Overall, the annual holiday spending forecast finds that roughly 140 million Americans will receive at least one unwanted present. Shockingly, one in 20 people expect to receive at least five gifts they won’t want to keep. The average cost of these unwanted items is expected to rise to $72 this holiday season, up from $66 last year. That represents a billion-dollar surge in wasteful holiday spending.

Saying “you shouldn’t have…” might be a more truthful statement than ever when it comes to certain gift ideas. Topping the unwanted gift list are:

Clothing and accessories (43%)
Household items (33%)
Cosmetics and fragrances (26%)
Technology gifts (25%)

So, what happens to all these well-intentioned but unwanted presents?

Regifting is the most popular solution (39%)
Return the item to the store to exchange for something else (32%)
Sell the unwanted gift (27%)

So, if you’re still looking for last-minute gifts this holiday season, choose wisely. There’s a very good chance the person you’re buying for won’t like your choices anyway.

Possible Preaching Angle:
You can use this story to remind people that the only gift that is universally appropriate in the gift of God’s Son. But in the same way, many people reject this costly gift as unnecessary and unwanted (John 1:11-12).

Most tithing Protestants still prefer a physical collection plate to a digital one. A Lifeway Research survey of 1,002 American Protestants found that since the pandemic, more people are giving online—but still not most. Today, only 7 percent of those who tithe use a church smartphone app. Only 8 percent have set up automated bank payments.

Preferred Mode of Tithing:

62% Only cash or check

36% At least one form of electronic giving

02% Don’t know

The UN Refugee Agency says the country of Columbia has hosted 3 million refugees and migrants from neighboring Venezuela. Columbia has also had the second highest number of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the world. Since 1985, violence and threats from armed groups have caused 6.7 million Columbians to flee their homes and go elsewhere in the country. Almost 20% of Columbia's population have been traumatized by the refugee, migrant or IDP experience. Here's one pastor’s story:

In 1984, Pastor Jose Higinio Licona and his family experienced violent displacement themselves in their hometown. His family owned a 6-acre farm, milked cows, and grew yucca and corn. One evening, when Licona returned from church, he found dozens of uniformed men with guns in his house, nonchalantly sipping his wife's lemonade. They demanded that he join their force. Pastor Jose decided it was time to flee with his family and a few animals. During their flight, they had to sell their animals and food became scarce. They never got their land back. Pastor Licona's current church is small, only about two dozen people. But most of them could report similar stories of loss as IDPs.

Since they were IDPs themselves, Licona's church started helping Venezuelan migrants when they started coming about 4 years ago. They butchered cows and harvested a half ton of yucca. They helped migrants pay rent and apply for temporary protection status. They hosted dinners offering Venezuelan dishes, offered counseling, and shoulders to cry on. They're helping 2,000 Venezuelan migrants who settled in the area. Pastor Jose says helping migrants is instinctive, "How could they not? We are all IDPs!"

This church has given from what little it had. What sacrifice!

Steve Carell surprised high school seniors in Altadena with a heartfelt announcement that left them in awe. The A-list actor is known for his role in The Office. He appeared in a video message to inform students, many of whom lost their homes in the devastating Eaton Fire in California, that their prom tickets were paid for.

“Attention. Attention all seniors,” Carell said in the video, delivering the message in his signature mock-serious tone. “This is Steve Carell, with a very special announcement.”

Carell shared in the video, “I work with a wonderful charity based out of Virginia called Alice’s Kids. And Alice’s Kids wanted me to let you know that they will be paying for all of your prom tickets.”

The donation of about $175,000 will cover prom tickets for over 800 students across six schools impacted by the Eaton Fire, which caused widespread destruction in early January. “Many, many, many of the kids who go to those schools lost homes,” said Ron Fitzsimmons, executive director of Alice’s Kids. “They’re still going to school, but they don’t have a home.” The tickets, ranging from $50 to $185, would have been out of reach for many students who lost everything in the fire.

Fitzsimmons explained the significance of the gesture, saying, “The prom is a party, and more than anything, these kids need a party. They need something that is uplifting.” This gesture of kindness was deeply appreciated by the students and faculty.

One school principal said, “This means everything to our students. It brought so much joy this morning, and that’s something that our students have really been missing.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

God is honored when we use our resources to help those who are suffering. It doesn't matter how we are gifted; all of us have gifts that we can use to bless others.

In the pouring rain, Robert Hale Jr., founder and CEO of wholesale telecommunications provider Granite Telecommunications, took the stage for the graduation ceremony at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Hale pointed to the security guards coming on stage with two duffle bags he had packed with envelopes of cash. Hale then announced that each graduate who crossed the stage would receive one $500 envelope to keep as a gift and a second $500 envelope to give to someone in need or a charity or cause close to them.

Video shows the students, sitting underneath umbrellas and wearing ponchos in the rain, erupting in cheers at the news. Hale, who is reportedly worth $5.4 billion, told the crowd that for him and his wife Karen, “the greatest joys we’ve had in our life have been the gift of giving. Our community and our world need our help now more than ever.”

The holidays are here, and plenty of people are thinking about the gifts they hope to receive. However, many Americans are also considering what they can give others, with a surprising group leading the charge.

A survey found that Gen Z and millennials are significantly more engaged in charitable activities, with 59% actively increasing their good deeds before year’s end. That’s notably higher than their older counterparts, where only 37% of Gen X and baby boomers are giving more as the year ends.

Younger Americans were also more consistent in their community involvement throughout the year. 60% of Gen Z and millennial respondents said they participated in good deeds within their community, and 50% extended their efforts globally. Conversely, only 47% of Gen X and baby boomers were getting involved, with just 38% engaging in worldwide initiatives.

Despite their higher engagement, younger generations express more doubt about the impact of their deeds. 42% of Gen Z and millennials admit feeling their actions are too small to make a difference. However, some people are optimistic that their goodwill is having an impact.

One respondent said, “Sometimes, it’s the small stuff, like checking in with a co-worker who seems down or helping someone figure out a solution. You might not realize the impact right away, but later, it clicks that maybe that small act brightened their day.”

As for what motivates Americans to be charitable, the satisfaction of giving (47%) tops the list, followed by a sense of purpose (43%) and the desire to make the world a better place (40%). While 38% of respondents find it easier to engage in charitable activities during the holiday season, an overwhelming 85% acknowledge the importance of year-round giving.

In an article in Scientific American titled, "Rx for Teen Mental Health: Volunteering," Lydia Denworth writes that "helping others might help depression and anxiety." She gives three examples:

● An early experiment found that 10th graders who volunteered in an elementary school for two months showed fewer signs of harmful inflammation and lower levels of obesity compared to students who didn’t volunteer.

● A group of 14- to 20-year-olds who had been recently diagnosed with mild to moderate depression or anxiety participated in volunteer work at animal shelters, food banks, and other community organizations. They experienced a 19% reduction in depressive symptoms.

● A 2023 analysis revealed that young people who participated in community service or volunteered in the past year were more likely to be in very good or excellent health. They also tended to stay calm and in control when faced with challenges and were less likely to experience anxiety. Why? Helping others improves mood and raises self-esteem. It provides fertile ground for building social connections. It also shifts people’s focus away from negative things and can change how they see themselves.

At a waste-management facility in Morrisville, Pa., workers load incinerated trash into industrial machinery that separates and sorts metals, then sends them to get hosed down. The reward: buckets of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies.

Americans toss as much as $68 million worth of change each year, according to Reworld. The sustainable-waste processing company is on a treasure-hunt to find it. The company says that in the seven years since it started the effort, it has collected at least $10 million worth of coins. Many coins are also getting left behind. At airport checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration collects hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of them each year. Coins are left in couch cushions or cars, then sucked into vacuums and sent to landfills.

Sometimes these small, seemingly unvalued coins can add up to a treasure—or even a work of art. For instance, Sara and Justin Ilse finished building a floor for their home’s 230-square-foot entryway out of 65,507 pennies.

“It was a way to encase something that doesn’t get viewed with much value in daily life,” Justin said. More than 20,000 of the pennies came from jars that Sara’s father and brother-in-law kept in their closets. They bought the rest of the pennies they needed in 2,500 increments through their local bank. In addition to the $655 they spent on pennies, they also spent $1,195 on supplies such as glue and epoxy.

Possible Preaching Angles:

(1) Mercy; Compassion – small good works of mercy or compassion can have a huge impact and be valuable in our Lord’s eyes; (2) Spiritual gifts—our gifts may seem insignificant, under-valued, but combined with the gifts of others in the church, they can create something beautiful, (3) Giving, Generosity—like the widow’s mite, Jesus sees and values small gifts given with great sacrifice.

At a moment when Veronica Fraley should’ve been focused only on the task ahead of her, instead she was preoccupied with issues thousands of miles away.

Fraley wrote on X, “I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW, and can’t even pay my rent.” Fraley was a graduate student at Vanderbilt University who’d recently set a school record in the discus event. “My school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses.”

Fraley’s post caught the attention of Flavor Flav, co-founder of the legendary hip-hop group Public Enemy. Flav had became an Olympic booster and enthusiast for the women’s water polo team after he found out how much they’d achieved and the economic hardships they had to overcome. Flav told NPR:

When the women aren't in the water playing water polo and everything, you know, they're home, working active jobs - one, two and three jobs. These girls are out here busting their butt to make the United States look good. So, when they're out here playing and practicing, it takes them away from their work. So, I said to myself, why not step in and try to help these girls out?

That resulted in Flav committing to a five-year sponsorship agreement with USA Water Polo, making undisclosed financial donations as well as several high-profile appearances at events and using his social media platform to promote the team.

So, when Flav saw Fraley’s post, he was already primed to help. “I gotchu,” Flav responded on X. “DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW … and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO!!!”

Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of the website Reddit and husband to tennis legend Serena Williams, quickly jumped into the thread. After offering to split the rent, Ohanian did much more, sending more than $7,000 via Cash App.

“This is the power of community,” said Flav in a responding tweet afterwards. “Now she can focus on getting that hardware.”

Lack of transportation is an obstacle many homeless people face in rural areas without public buses as well as in big cities designed for cars. Without a bicycle or a friend with a vehicle, the homeless are stranded, sometimes unable to pick up prescriptions, go to food pantries, or hold down a job.

Enter Roberta Harmon, a street minister recognizable by her white heart-shaped glasses and fiery red hair who fixes up old bicycles for homeless people who need them to get to jobs. Harmon has given out roughly 1,000 bikes. She has also worked with volunteer mechanics for eight years—scavenging rummage sales and garbage bins on bulk pickup days and building bikes with salvaged parts. The police department also donates lost or unclaimed bicycles it recovers to her.

Harmon said, “We realized that people could get a ride to the interview but then once they got the job, the rides dried up. So how were they supposed to keep their jobs?”

She learned her mechanic skills on YouTube and from growing up poor; in a pinch, she will substitute lip balm for grease, and nest a small tire inside a larger one with screws in it for do-it-yourself snow tires. Her latest project: refurbishing trashed lawn mowers in hopes of starting a landscaping company that can employ people who are unhoused.

“I don’t want to help you stay in a pit,” said Harmon, who adds that many anti-poverty organizations aren’t effective.

Kindness can be addictive and one small gesture can start a chain reaction of kindness according to readers of The Wall Street Journal who have written to the newspaper to tell their story.

Theresa Gale was locking up her church recently after a long day of volunteering when a young woman approached her, asking for water and bus fare. It was late and Gale was alone. But she gave the woman a bottle of water and $15 and offered her a ride to the bus stop.

In the car, the woman asked about the church, and Gale explained that the members believe that they have a duty to help those in need. “Well, you are God to me today,” Gale says the woman responded. “I was touched,” says Gaile said. “It was as if I, too, had received a blessing.”

Possible Preaching Angl e:

“When we act kindly, the systems in our brain associated with reward light up, the same ones active when we eat chocolate. They make us want to do that same awesome thing again.” -Jamil Zaki, associate professor of psychology at Stanford University

An Oregon man recently threw $200,000 in cash onto a local highway until police asked him to stop due to the risk to pedestrians endangering themselves to collect his show of generosity. People magazine reports: “The Eugene [Oregon] man told responding officers that he was ‘doing well and wanted to bless others with gifts of money.’”

But there was a catch. The money he used to “bless” others came from a shared bank account with other family members. He gave away what didn’t belong solely to him. The man’s family is asking motorists to return the cash to the police and their family.

Possible Preaching Angles:

In contrast to this man, we who have experienced the riches of the grace of God, actually have an invitation to share this grace with others (Matt. 10:8; Rev. 22:17) to help and encourage them.

Offensive line, Zack Conti, made it onto the Eastern Michigan University football team as a “walk-on,” meaning without a scholarship. Head Coach Chris Creighton told the team, “Zack Conti has had to pay his way to school for four years. And in the fall, the guy was selling his plasma to be able to pay the bills.”

Unfortunately, the team couldn't give out any more scholarships. Creighton explained to the players that the NCAA allows the team to provide 85 scholarships each year, and they've given them all out. Creighton asked for an 86th scholarship, but the answer was no.

"Then Brian Dooley came into my office," Creighton said. "And he says, 'Coach, that guy has earned it. And I've talked this over with my family. And if there's a way to make this happen, I am willing to give up my scholarship as a gift to Zack Conti.' I've never heard, I've never seen anything like that ever before." At that moment, Dooley walked over to Creighton and handed him an envelope that held his scholarship. The team broke out in cheers.

After the now-viral moment, Conti said he was "so honored and so thankful. It feels like all of my hard work is finally being rewarded.”

The senior paid his way through school by working at a landscaping service or at his dad’s hardwood flooring company, and donating plasma, which usually pays $50 to $100 a session.

He said, "Sometimes asking for help is not easy. The team would usually see me coming back from work or going to work and they would know what was going on, and they were supportive. They got my back."

Dooley said Conti earned the scholarship and explained his motivation for helping his teammate:

I did it because I've seen Conti grow over the years. Seeing him walk away from something that he loves did not sit well with me. He works hard and gets extra work with me all the time. In my eyes, he earned it 100%. Giving up my scholarship so he can stay and play means everything. I'm proud of what he has become and cannot wait to see what he does on the field.

Possible Preaching Angle:

The sacrificial love of Jesus is modeled for others when we show them the same radical love, acceptance, and generosity that God shows to us.

Charles Feeney was raised by working-class parents who struggled during the Depression to pay a $32 monthly mortgage. He served in the Air Force and got into the duty-free shopping business. The business went global. Profits were enormous. By the early 1980s he was plowing tax-free annual dividends of $35 million into hotels, land deals, retail shops, and clothing companies. He later invested in tech start-ups and multiplied his income exponentially. By age 50, he had palatial homes in New York, London, Paris, Honolulu, San Francisco, Aspen, and on the French Riviera.

But as Feeney said later, “I just reached the conclusion with myself that money, buying boats and all the trimmings didn’t appeal to me.” So, Feeney sold his limousines. He quit going to fancy restaurants and bought his clothes off the rack.

He decided to give away his money before he died—secretly. He gave $2.7 billion to fund 1,000 buildings on five continents, and his name appeared on none of them. He gave grants by cashier’s checks to conceal the source.

Feeney funded public-health facilities in Vietnam, the University of Limerick and Trinity College in Ireland, AIDS clinics in South Africa, Operation Smile’s free surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates, a medical campus for the University of California at San Francisco, and earthquake relief in Haiti.

In his last decades, Feeney did not own a home or a car, wore a $10 wristwatch, preferred buses to taxis and, until he was 75, flew coach. He lived in a two-bedroom rented apartment in San Francisco.

Why did he do it? He said, “I cannot think of a more personally rewarding and appropriate use of wealth than to give while one is living, to personally devote oneself to meaningful efforts to improve the human condition.”

When people at Onecho Bible Church talk about “the mission field,” they mean the many places around the world where Christians are sharing the love of Jesus. But sometimes, they’re also talking about a literal field in Eastern Washington, where the congregation grows crops to support the people proclaiming the gospel around the world.

The 74-member church, smack-dab in the middle of a vast expanse of wheat fields, has donated $1.4 million to missions since 1965. They’ve funded wells, campgrounds, and Christian colleges. This year, they want to provide food and shelter to asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border. Brian Largent, Onecho’s volunteer farm manager said, “Being as isolated as we are, it’s our missionaries and this mission field that keeps us very focused worldwide. This church is a very mission-oriented church—always has been.”

The church started with Mennonite migrants in the 1890s and Methodist farmers 20 years before that. But the unique fundraising program started in the 1960s. One of the church elders passed away at age 65 and bequeathed 180 acres to the church. He supported missionary work his whole life and considered that his legacy. He asked Onecho to use his land to continue the work of spreading the gospel.

The church decided it wouldn’t sell the field but would farm it with volunteers. The proceeds from the harvest would fund various missions. The first year, the harvest yielded $5,500. Revenue fluctuates, based on the success of the harvest. In 2021, the field earned $39,000. Last year, it was $178,000. “We just put the seed in the ground,” Largent said. “Then . . . it’s all up to the weather and what God’s going to do to produce the money.”

When Jake and Kelly Levine boarded their flight, they were hoping their five-month-old daughter Romey would be able to behave appropriately. Kelly said, “Before the flight I was very anxious. You never know if the people around you are going to be bothered by a baby.” It was only Romey’s second flight; the family was returning to their home from a vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

According to Kelly, however, Romey was transfixed for the majority of the five-hour flight by the passenger sitting next to her who was crocheting a sweater. Kelly said, “Entranced is the perfect word. Romey is a very curious baby; she loves to just watch people and observe.”

Meegan Rubin was Romey’s seatmate, and enjoyed the attention from Romey. Rubin said, “She started staring at me so inquisitively.”

Once Rubin finished her sweater, she looked at the curious baby and she decided she had just enough time—and just enough yarn—to pivot to a new project: a beanie for the baby. She was hopeful she could pull it together in about an hour. “I just had to,” she said, adding that she makes an effort to surprise strangers with handmade gifts whenever she can.

A few minutes after the plane landed, Rubin turned to the couple, handed them a tiny cream-colored hat, and declared: “Okay, it’s done!”

“We were totally shocked, as were the other passengers around us,” said Kelly. “I was near tears.” Kelly placed the hat on Romey’s head, and it fit perfectly. Everyone in the vicinity smiled and applauded. She was so overwhelmed with joy that afterward she shared the video on TikTok, where it was viewed over seven million times.

Kelly said, “I will make sure Romey knows for the rest of her life that people can be nice to each other for no reason, and that this story inspired others to do so. She add that she and Rubin are staying in touch and hope to get together soon. “We want her to be a part of our life forever.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

God also loves it when his people use their gifts to bless each other, especially innocent children.

When James Free looked inside the donation bin, he saw something that he normally sees: a pair of shoes. Free was volunteering with Portland Rescue Mission, the organization that helped him to stabilize and get back on his feet after a season of addiction and houseless living. In his role helping to sort donated goods, he’d seen many pairs of shoes come through the bin. But these shoes looked different. They looked special.

It turns out, they were. They were a pair of limited-edition gold-colored Air Jordan IIIs, which were specially designed at the request of film director Spike Lee to celebrate his first televised Oscar win at the Academy Awards in 2019. Somehow, someone at Nike’s global headquarters in nearby Beaverton, got a pair of these rare shoes, and instead of keeping them or selling them, donated them to Portland Rescue Mission.

After Free saw the shoes, he alerted director of staff ministries Erin Holcomwb, who reached out to some local sneakerhead experts who could help authenticate their value. Eventually Holcomb reached out to Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, who donated an original box and several other design artifacts to complete and legitimize the shoes as a collector’s item. In their final more glorified form, Holcomb personally escorted the shoes to New York, where they could be authenticated and auctioned off by the luxury auction firm Sotheby’s.

Holcomb said, “In my seventeen years of working at the mission, this is the first time we’ve ever decided to resell a donation.” She says those Air Jordans are a great metaphor for the work they do at the mission: helping people rediscover themselves as incalculable treasures of humanity, despite having been discarded or overlooked by others.

The shoes eventually sold for more than $50,000, which was donated to the mission to continue their work. Hatfield said, “I’m thrilled the shoes ended up here. It’s a happy ending to a really great project.”

Rap artists Megan Thee Stallion and Missy Elliott have been burnishing their résumés as of late; following entries for “platinum-selling recording artist” there’s a new one: “budding philanthropist.”

Megan Pete, known onstage as Megan Thee Stallion, recently established a scholarship fund at her alma mater Texas Southern University. The $150,000 Flaming Hot Fund was established in partnership with Frito-Lay, and seeks to alleviate outstanding student debt. She said, “I feel like everyone knows I love education and I would definitely advise anyone to pursue a real degree and to finish school.”

The Flaming Hot Fund will be partially funded from sales of a streetwear apparel line inspired by Flaming Hot Cheetos, a favorite of hers. Additionally, Frito-Lay will make a separate donation of $100,000 to the Pete and Thomas Foundation, a non-profit Megan Thee Stallion launched in 2022 to help underserved communities in her hometown of Houston.

As for Missy Elliott, she recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of her street dedication in Virginia by donating to the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Elliott’s donation of $50,000 was enough to pay the past-due rents for 26 families in the area. She said that she wanted the occasion to be an opportunity to give back to the community that gave her so much.

Patricia Elliott spoke at the Portsmouth ceremony, explaining her daughter’s motivation for giving back: “So when you give, you give because you remember those days when you didn’t have. If each person would give when they get to the top, then, what a real beautiful world we would be in.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

You don't have to be a titan of business to engage in philanthropy; no matter your role, position, or station in life, anyone can make an impact through generosity.

Traveling from Niagara Falls to Washington D.C., a tour group of 10 South Koreans got stuck driving in a blizzard near Buffalo. Two of the group went to a local house to ask for a shovel to dislodge their vehicle.

It was Christmas Eve when Alex Campagna heard their frantic knocking on his door. Outside was “the worst blizzard I’ve experienced - it was the Darth Vader of storms.” Knowing the folly of trying to carry on, he invited them all inside, putting them up on couches, air mattresses, and sleeping bags.

Eager to repay his kindness, the guests cooked several South Korean meals like stir-fried pork, and dakdori tang, a spicy chicken stew. As it turns out Campagna and his wife really like Korean food and actually happened to have some of the more extravagant ingredients on hand.

The Times reports they waited out the blizzard and stayed Friday and Saturday. They swapped stories, and even enjoyed some American football matches on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day drivers came to pick up the tour group and took them to New York for some impromptu flights.

“We have enjoyed this so much,” said Choi Yoseob, a member of the group who described the experience as unforgettable and a “unique blessing.”