As we enter the holiday season, we have to figure out how we're going to beat the recession so we can dish out the wrapped goods when the time comes. Even though most of our wallets look thinner than Calista Flockhart, the most wonderful time of the year shouldn't lose its title because the times are financially tough.
We bring this up because it seems Gainesville has been slacking against a national trend that is typically positive.
Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy said the amount Americans donate to charity typically withstands poor economic performance.
At first, we found this a little hard to believe. Naturally, we would assume the less money someone has, the less they are willing to part with.
That's just a little too pessimistic for us, though. Since we can remember, we've had sayings like "'Tis better to give than to receive" drilled into our heads this time of year, so there's a chance that Americans take this adage seriously enough to follow through when it really counts.
Unfortunately, Gainesville is not a typical American city when it comes to this argument. Several of the city's charitable organizations, including the United Way and the Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, are reporting donation decreases from last year.
Our fellow Gators better not be the reason Gainesville looks stingy on the national stage during the holidays.
We're all working on college budgets, but maybe, just for a few weeks, we can take a few nights off from midtown to drop off some old clothes at Goodwill.
Everyone is feeling the stress of this economic downtime, but that doesn't mean we can take a break from our city's usual penchant for giving.
