Alpha Connection

While the holidays are undoubtedly pleasant for many, they can also cause problems for those in recovery. Not only do these celebrations often bring back reminders of times past, but the use of various substances during the holidays can make it hard for someone who has worked to get clean to stay that way. As a friend or family member, then, it is important to know how you can provide support during the holidays.

Don’t Leave Loved Ones Alone During the Holidays

For many, simply having a constant presence can work wonders. So don’t leave your loved one alone during the holidays, whether that means making sure that they have company during important events or simply checking in to have coffee from time to time. Isolation can be a significant issue during recovery, and those who find themselves struggling to connect are also those who might have the most prominent problems staying on the right path as the holidays come and go.

It’s also helpful to make sure that you provide safe alternatives for your friend or family member during his or her recovery. If the person in question is recovering from issues surrounding addiction, for example, you may want to avoid having parties in places that are closely tied to his or her addicted past. Likewise, simply being willing to stay sober during events can allow your friend or family member to feel like they are less alone.

The Importance of Time Management

Finally, make sure that your friend or family member isn’t using the holidays as an excuse to duck out of treatment. While business hours can change wildly during this time of year, make sure that you’re providing support to ensure that they can still get to therapy or attend meetings. Sometimes just being able to give someone a ride can be helpful.

Don’t be afraid to support a friend or family member who is going through recovery. Whether this means being present, providing stability, or just supporting the other person’s journey, you can do a great deal to help ensure that your friend or loved one has a better chance of making it through the holidays unscathed.

It’s fair to say that donations are the life-blood of the non-profit world. While there are certainly other forms of funding that can be and often are secured, the truth is that most non-profits place a great deal of emphasis on donations even when other forms of income are available. This isn’t because soliciting donations is easy or because they are always a better form of funding than other funding methods, but because of how donations tend to help non-profits fulfill their goals.

Connecting Non-Profits and the Community

A donation is more than just a monetary gift. In most circumstances, a donation is a direct tie of purpose between an individual or business in a community and the non-profit. When non-profits solicit donations, they’re looking for more than just a check; in most cases, these non-profits are looking for methods to ensure that they are meeting an important goal of the community at large. When there is a complete lack of interest in donations, a non-profit must either conclude that there is something about their message that is not being communicated properly or that their reason for existence is not one championed by the broader community.

Help them to stay connected to the very people who they are trying to serve

Donations work not only as a funding source, but also as a way for a non-profit to measure that reception of its message in a broader context. Without being able to see the hard numbers that come in from a donation drive, it can be difficult for a non-profit to check to see if its messaging is still on point. As such, donations can be thought of as a powerful metric for helping non-profits to ensure that they are still engaging with the community in ways that not only help them to stay financially afloat, but that also help them to stay connected to the very people who they are trying to serve.