This post was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
My family spent most of the month of November not being able to take a full, deep breath, and I do mean that literally. You see, we live in Chattanooga, and this part of the country has experienced a devastating drought this year. Ultimately it led to the spread of wildfires. While our specific area was safe from harm we were close enough to where fires were burning to be impacted. It was a rather inconvenient month, but it was absolutely nothing in comparison to what happened the Monday after Thanksgiving, when massive winds came through and spread a fire in the Smoky Mountains, and in particular, in Gatlinburg. In a matter of hours the entire time was surrounded by, if not engulfed in, flames. It was absolutely horrifying to see what a difference wind can make in the spreading of fires, and it was just heartbreaking to watch a community not far from our own experience this type of devastation.
I was listening to what the people of the area were saying that they needed, and one thing that I wasn’t expecting to hear kept coming up again and again: folks in this area wanted their tourists to please come and see them. These communities rely on tourism as a foundation for their economic health, so one of the best things people could do for the area is to book a trip over to see them.
And so my family did just that, because as it turns out, it was a way to give something very much needed. And that’s the thing about giving: if you keep your eyes and ears open, you’ll be surprised by all the things, great and small, that you can do that will positively impact someone else. In my family, we teach our kids about giving by noting that we all need to take turns sharing. We are also quick to point out to them times when others have shared with us so that they understand that humans need each other, and just because we are in the position at the moment to give, that doesn’t mean that we have never been in the position to receive, or that our circumstances would never change such that we need to ask for help down the line. But when you are able to share, that’s just what you do. Sometimes that looks like bringing canned goods to school for our local food bank. Sometimes it means donating all the money in your piggy bank to a family who wants to adopt. It might also look like buying a few toys for a mother of young children who has just left an abusive relationship and had to leave almost all of her possessions and her children’s toys behind. And sometimes it means taking a vacation unexpectedly, because it will put dollars into an economy that really needs it. We have been able to do these things over the last few months, and we are thankful for the opportunity to share.
Everyone can share something, even if it feels like you have very little to offer. Do you have a photo, for example? If so, then you already have enough to make a difference right now. Johnson & Johnson has just released the free charity app called Donate a Photo, and all you need to do is download it on your smartphone or tablet, select a charity you’d like to help, and submit your photo. Johnson & Johnson will then donate $1 to that trusted non-profit partner that you chose. Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation. I chose for our donation to go to survivors of the Tennessee wildfires.
If you are able to give more than a photo, you can purchase a gift from the Save the Children “Gifts of Joy” catalog, or make a direct monetary donation to the other non-profit partners listed on the app. You can take a turn sharing with others right now. You have something that can help already on your phone, and you can spread the love by sharing about this app with your friends and family, and encouraging them to take a turn sharing, too.
The app allows you to share one photo per day, so by taking a few seconds out of every day, you could get $365 donated by this time next year, and that will REALLY make a difference! The app will send you reminders if you want it to, just to make things as easy as possible. Join Johnson & Johnson in this long-standing partnership with Save the Children and other partner nonprofits to support basic health and hygiene needs for families and to prioritize investments in the health and wellness of others.
We all have something to offer to others. Please donate a photo today and give back!
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