Lynne Conlan is executive director of the South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce. Call her at 813-634-5111, or email lynne@southhillschamber.com.
It’s that most wonderful time of the year. Why do you think that is? Well, the tree has arrived at Rockefeller Center. I’d say the holiday decorations in stores, but those have been up for months, so that doesn’t make the list. Maybe, because we’re looking forward to seeing our families at holiday gatherings. Well, some of us are. Then there’s all the cooking and cleaning. Although those two aren’t on anyone’ s nice list.
No matter how you feel about the holidays, there is one way to make them more special and that’s by practicing generosity. It’s not important what you do. It could be donating to Toys for Tots (there is a box in the chamber lobby). You could contribute items to local shut-ins. I’ll be telling you soon about how the chamber ambassadors need your help with that project. Donating to food banks is a great idea. And don’t forget about simply inviting someone over to your house who would otherwise be alone. And your generosity not only helps others; it can also benefit you, as well.
Generosity is good for your health. Studies show that being generous lowers blood pressure by as much as 40 percent. Generous people tend to live longer. A study from the University of Buffalo found that doing things as simple as picking up groceries for someone is directly related to living longer. Another study followed 2,000 volunteers from Marin, California. Researchers then followed up for the next five years and found that those volunteers had a 63% lower mortality rate than those who don’t volunteer.
According to researcher Christian Smith from the University of Notre Dame, “The boost we receive from doing things for others is built into our neurochemistry. Furthermore, just thinking about this later can flood our bodies with those feel-good chemicals.”
And generosity tends to spill over into other areas of our lives, both at home and at work –so there’s that. And you never know whom you might meet in your quest to give back.
But if you don’t know who needs your help in our area, just ask the chamber. Go to our website at www.southhillsboroughchamber.com and look at our member directory. Check out our members who are nonprofit organizations. They can always use your assistance. For our members, you should be receiving our Tuesday e-blasts. Please tell me you read them. We’ll keep you updated on the charitable events happening all around South County. And to all of you living and working in South Hillsborough County, thanks in advance for all your generosity this holiday season.
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