By Amber Nagle

Enjoying copious amounts of Christmas confections is just one of the high points of the holiday season. From a decorative tin of your aunt’s famous peppermint bark to a carnival glass bowl showcasing colorful jelly-filled hard candies, Christmas candies seem to be everywhere beckoning you to grab a piece with no guilt.

We thought it would be fun to examine six popular Christmas candies and explore how they relate to philanthropy. Enjoy! 

DIVINITY

These white fluffy candies are to die for, but a lot of skill and luck are required to make perfect divinity candy. My mother used to say, “You can’t make divinity when it’s raining, so better wait until tomorrow when it is less humid.” The timing of making divinity is critical to its success, and sometimes, the timing of charitable giving is integral to a gift’s effectiveness.

Many people are filled with the giving spirit in December, and they make a few year-end donations to help others and/or create a few more tax deductions. As a result, many organizations seem to be in good financial shape at year’s end. However, when spring rolls around, they are starving for working capital. Like waiting an extra day to try your hand at making divinity, sometimes it’s best to time your charitable donations to when an organization needs it most.

OLD FASHIONED HARD CANDY

Remember the glass bowl of hard candies Grandma showcased on her dining room table? The purple candies meant raspberry, reds were strawberry, and the little brown peanut shaped candies tasted like peanut butter. Mmm. There were so many flavors to choose from that it was often difficult to make a decision.

Choosing a charity (or charities) can be a tough decision, too. There are so many worthy causes and projects that need financial fuel to be successful. How does one choose the best? The good news is that, like hard candies, you won’t be disappointed with the charities you choose, so select a few. Giving will fill your soul with holiday cheer.

FUDGE

For most of us, there’s a fudge recipe that has been passed down from one generation to the next to the next. Some recipes include Georgia pecans while others use walnuts. Some fudgy concoctions are so sweet it makes your face sweat after nibbling one bite. Fudge is part of so many Christmas traditions - touchstones to the holidays of our youth and to loved ones who may not be with us any more. 

For many families, charitable giving can also be a treasured family tradition. For those of us who are charitable, we hope to pass down our giving spirit to our children and grandchildren along with our shared beliefs and values. The giving process can provide unique opportunities for families to spend time together talking, collaborating, researching organizations and causes, and giving together. The act of philanthropy can be a bonding experience for family members of all generations.

CHRISTMAS LIFESAVERS STORYBOOKS

For those of us who were blessed with a filled stocking hanging on the mantle on Christmas morning, we fondly remember the Christmas Lifesavers Storybooks pushed down to the toe of the stocking. From Wint-O-Green to chalky Pep-O-Mint to Butter Rum to Tropical Fruit flavored rolls, Lifesavers were a welcome gift from Santa.

Our generous donations are often lifesavers to the thousands of nonprofit organizations that serve our communities each and every day. Your gift can save a life. Be a lifesaver this year.

PEANUT BRITTLE

Peanut brittle is a timeless holiday classic. For those of you who have never made it, you heat sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water until it makes a gooey concoction the consistency of lava, then you stir in raw peanuts. Using a candy thermometer, you heat the mixture up and stir constantly until the temperature reaches about 300 degrees F. Then you remove from heat, mix in a little baking soda, and pour the sludge onto a big piece of wax paper. 

That’s when the magic happens. In a matter of minutes, the magma transforms into something resembling stained glass, and that’s the novelty of peanut brittle - and charitable giving. We write a check and walk away, and that’s when the magic happens. Nonprofits and institutions of faith step in, provide services, and quite miraculously, lives are changed. Your dollars can make a marvelous difference.   

CANDY CANES

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the whimsical red and white candy canes hanging on the limbs of  evergreens or tied into bows on gifts under the tree. They are simple, nostalgic, and delicious. Their peppermint taste cools our palates and lingers with us even after the candy has dissolved. Candy canes bring a smile to our faces.

And as 2020 comes to a close, may you savor the joy of giving this year. May your many acts of kindness bring a smile to your face, and may the happiness you feel in helping others linger with you for many weeks to come.

Amber Nagle is the Marketing and Technology Director of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia. She writes for several magazines across the South.

By Cecelia Dyer

It’s the Holiday Season, again!  That one time of the year we enjoy certain experiences for just that brief period.  Specific foods, décor, and customs, that we could most certainly indulge in year round if we wanted, are saved specifically for this magical time.  Of these once-a-year traditions, listening to Christmas music is surely an all-time favorite.

Take a look at the five songs we feel will not only have you singing along, but might just bring out the giving spirit in even the most cynical among us!

1.  THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (https://youtu.be/9QPQI5QUs74)

This is one of those fun songs that tests an adult’s memory and entertains children to no end.  We all like to think we know how many geese were a laying, maids were a milking, and pipers were piping; but let’s face it, the only thing we really know is that there were FIVE GOLDEN RINGS.  And we like to sing that part loudly to cover up the fact that we actually have no clue beyond a partridge in a pear tree.

While this song portrays a very generous gifter, we should always remember that for many receiving even a single gift is out of the question.  Never think any donation or gift is too small.  It could change someone’s world.

2. DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS? (https://youtu.be/ahYKt-A_uBY)

This benefit song was written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money to combat famine in Ethiopia.  If you’ve never heard this tune, that description doesn’t exactly make you want to rush and add it to your holiday playlist, but it’s great and you should!  Some of the most popular singers of the time formed the supergroup Band Aid to record this single, and it is still fun to pick out their voices 35 years later.

Despite the fact that the song was written for a specific cause many years ago, its message still rings loud and clear today.  “Feed the world” is repeated over and over, and while the initial effort of this group was aimed at hunger in Africa, we know we have people struggling in our own community who need food assistance also.  Your donations of money and/or food items could literally save a person’s life.

3.  LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (https://youtu.be/QArOV1bsISo)

Okay, let’s discuss the most obvious candidate for “best giving spirit” of all time – the little drummer boy.  Doesn’t a tear come to your eye just thinking about the lyrics to this Christmas classic?

A little boy with nothing to offer but the gift of his musical instrument, and his desire to play the best he ever has for the newborn King, so he goes for it.  What a message!

It’s easy to think of philanthropy as only a wealthy person’s endeavor, but that’s simply not the case.  Charitable giving comes in many forms other than monetary.  If your pocketbook is tight, you can volunteer your time, talents and ideas to any number of worthy organizations, and your heart will be rewarded in return.

4.  A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS (https://youtu.be/Dkq3LD-4pmM)

On a recent trip to the copy room, one of our coworkers here at the Community Foundation was heard singing this super catchy tune.  She said this particular holiday song always makes her feel good.  Her joy was contagious and spread throughout the office.

Our hope is that when helping others by giving, volunteering, mentoring, etc., you will approach it with a “holly jolly” attitude.  That really is the true spirit of giving.

5.  AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS (https://youtu.be/p8hdZVoLHrk)

Written and originally performed by John Lennon as a nod to his desire for social unity and peace, AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS has become a holiday anthem.  This song’s wonderfully inclusive lyrics are worth reading over if you’ve never paid them much attention.  “So this is Christmas and what have you done” is the first line, and what a huge question that is!

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a year for the record books, and has brought to light some different types of giving we can do in addition to our usual donations.  We can give others our patience, respect, and kindness on a daily basis, and be greatly fulfilled in doing so.  Our wish for you is, and as this song states so beautifully, “A very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Let’s hope it’s a good one without any fears.”

 Cecelia Dyer is a valued staff member of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia based in Dalton.